Nickel sulfide/graphitic carbon nitride/strontium titanate (NiS/g-C3N4/SrTiO3) composites with significantly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production activity

NiS/g-C3N4/SrTiO3 (NS/CN/STO) composites were prepared using a facile hydrothermal method. The synergistic effect of g-C3N4/SrTiO3 (CN/STO) heterojunction and NiS cocatalyst enhanced the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity of NS/CN/STO. A hydrogen production rate of 1722.7 μmol h-1 g-1 was obtained when the 2%NiS/20%g-C3N4/SrTiO3 (2NS/20CN/STO) was used for the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in the presence of methanol used as a sacrificial agent under UV-vis light irradiation; the photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of 2NS/20CN/STO is 32.8, 8.9 and 4.2 times the value of that obtained with pure g-C3N4, SrTiO3 and 20%g-C3N4/SrTiO3 (20CN/STO), respectively. Moreover, in photoelectrochemical investigations when compared with 20CN/STO, SrTiO3 and g-C3N4, 2NS/20CN/STO exhibited significant photocurrent enhancement. The heterojunction and cocatalyst in NS/CN/STO improved the charge separation efficiency and the lifetime of the charge carriers, leading to the enhanced generation of electrons for photocatalytic hydrogen production.