Mesoporous NH2-MIL-125(Ti)/Zn0.5Cd0.5S photocatalysts with improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under solar light

The mesoporous NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti)/Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S (TMZCS) composite photocatalyst is effectively fabricated through a two-step hydrothermal synthesis approach. The photocatalytic hydrogen generation efficiency of the TMZCS is systematically investigated in pure water. The results indicate that when the mass fraction of NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) is 15%, the maximum hydrogen production after 3 h of illumination in pure water reaches 1528 μmol, corresponding to a hydrogen yield rate of 509.6 μmol h −1 , nearly double that of pure ZCS. Furthermore, the TMZCS also demonstrates excellent photocatalytic stability. Even after four consecutive recycles, the photocatalytic hydrogen yield remains virtually unchanged. The improved photocatalytic efficiency of TMZCS arises predominantly from the establishment of a type II heterojunction at the interface between ZCS and NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti). This structure effectively enhances the dissociation of photogenerated carriers and suppresses their recombination. This research presents a high-performance and robust photocatalyst for hydrogen yield from water.