Hollow ZnCdS and NiCoP Nanostructures for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

To promote photocatalytic reactions and sustain structural stabilities, nanostructured photocatalysts, particularly in hollow and/or framelike forms, have attracted great attention. The photocatalysts with hollow or framelike structures possess advantageous features for photocatalytic reactions with an enlarged accessible surface area, promoted light-response capability, and shortened charge-transfer distance. Here, two fresh hollow-structured nanomaterials, cubiclike ZnCdS (H-ZCS) and NiCoP (H-NCP) frameworks, were designed and synthesized for the first time based on Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) with an open framework structure, tunable compositions, and uniform metal active sites. They were coupled as advanced functional H-NCP/H-ZCS architectures with double-hollow nanostructures and close contact interfaces for an improved visible-light-driven H2 evolution. Interestingly, the two hollow-structured frameworks have the same start in preparation, that is, H-NCP and H-ZCS are two homologous hollow nanomaterials, which is undoubtedly beneficial for the design and construction of more advanced functional architectures based on the PBA-induction strategy. In addition, the newly developed cubiclike H-ZCS frameworks exhibit an enlarged surface area and narrower band gap in comparison with the reported ZCS nanoparticles. The resultant double-hollow H-NCP/H-ZCS architectures exhibit an enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution rate, being up to about 73 μmol mg–1 h–1.