WO3(H2O)0.333/CdSe-diethylenetriamine nanocomposite as a step-scheme photocatalyst for hydrogen production

Photocatalysts are crucial for photocatalytic hydrogen production. In this work, WO3(H2O)0.333/CdSe-diethylenetriamine (WO3(H2O)0.333/CdSe-DETA) heterojunction nanocomposites are synthesized and are applied as photocatalysts for hydrogen production under visible-light. The formation of heterojunction between WO3(H2O)0.333 and CdSe-DETA is confirmed by XPS and HRTEM. Among the WO3(H2O)0.333/CdSe-DETA nanocomposites, the WC-2 nanocomposite can reach a hydrogen production rate of 2.4 mmol g−1 h−1, which is dramatically improved than WO3(H2O)0.333 and CdSe-DETA. After five cycles, the WC-2 nanocomposite still maintains a hydrogen production rate of 2.3 mmol g−1 h−1. Due to the staggered band positions of WO3(H2O)0.333 and CdSe-DETA, electron–hole pairs generated by light illumination can be separated by a step-scheme pathway through the heterojunction. As a result, the WO3(H2O)0.333/CdSe-DETA nanocomposites exhibit much better photocatalytic properties than WO3(H2O)0.333 and CdSe-DETA. This work reveals the feasibility of WO3(H2O)0.333/CdSe-DETA nanocomposite photocatalysts for hydrogen production.