Porous CoxP nanosheets decorated Mn0.35Cd0.65S nanoparticles for highly enhanced noble-metal-free photocatalytic H2 generation

Incorporating 2D transition-metal phosphides into visible-light-driven semiconductors is fascinating for advancing novel photocatalysts. In this paper, porous CoxP nanosheets prepared by phosphating Co(OH)2 nanosheets are coupled with Mn0.35Cd0.65S nanoparticles for significantly boosted photocatalytic H2 evolution performance. The optimal CoxP/Mn0.35Cd0.65S hybrids show an excellent visible-light H2 production rate of 7188.9 μmol g-1h-1 upon visible light with an apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 18.9% at 420 nm. The H2 production rate of the 5% CoxP/Mn0.35Cd0.65S sample is about 257 times bare CdS and even 18 times higher than pristine Mn0.35Cd0.65S. This dramatic photocatalytic H2 generation activity is mainly ascribed to the efficient charge transfer and abundant active sites by introducing the porous CoxP nanosheets. The photocatalytic mechanism of the CoxP/Mn0.35Cd0.65S composites is investigated by the photoluminescence (PL), time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL), electrochemical, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) tests. This work presents a viable strategy to design a 2D/0D hybrid system containing porous cobalt phosphides nanosheets and MnCdS solid solutions for noble-metal-free photocatalytic application.