A novel highly efficient co-catalyst for enhancement of photocatalytic hydrogen production activity and stability of Cd0.5Zn0.5S: Silicotungstic acid nanoparticles embedded with NiOx clusters

Development of an efficient and stable photocatalyst is crucial for the practical implementation of photocatalytic hydrogen production technology on a large scale. Consequently, the exploration of efficient co-catalysts has consistently been a focal point in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen production. Here, a highly efficient co- catalyst was developed using NiOx clusters and silicotungstic acid nanoparticles to enhance the photocatalytic activity and stability of Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S nanoplates for H2 evolution. Subsequently, the photocatalytic behavior and mechanism of the as-prepared Cd0.5Zn0.5S-based photocatalyst were investigated. The results demonstrate that the as-prepared Cd0.5Zn0.5S-based photocatalyst exhibits high photocatalytic activity for H2 generation, achieving a top H2 evolution rate of 1.51 mmol g- 1 h- 1 . Moreover, the silicotungstic acid nanoparticles embedded with NiOx clusters are an excellent co-catalyst for Cd0.5Zn0.5S. Under bright irradiation (142.4 mW cm- 2 ), the photocatalytic activity of Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S nanoplates is boosted by 11.8-fold, while this enhancement increases up to 104-fold under mild light irradiation (71.8 mW cm- 2 ). Furthermore, the stability of Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S nanoplates is significantly improved with this co-catalyst, retaining 96.7 % of its initial photo- catalytic activity after five cycles of use. These findings will serve as a valuable reference for the design and preparation of efficient Cd0.5Zn0.5S-based photocatalysts in future.