Efficient NiS_x cocatalyst to promote visible light photocatalytic H₂ production over g-C₃N₄: A novel solvothermal synthesis method

Seeking low-cost and highly efficient cocatalysts to substitute the prominent function of noble metals is of great significance to decrease the expense of large-scale photocatalytic H₂ production. Hence, here we fabricated heterostructured g-C₃N₄/NiS_x photocatalyst by a novel and facile solvothermal method to efficiently convert solar energy into clean H₂ under visible light irradiation without employing noble metals. The optimal CN/NiS_x-20 achieved the highest H₂ evolution rate of 679.9 μmol·h⁻¹·g⁻¹, which is ~200 times that of pure CN without noble metal Pt, as well as 2 times that of 1 wt% Pt loaded one. The corresponding AQY was measured to be 3.7% at 420 nm. The superior performance was found to be originated from the significantly promoted photo-induced electron-hole pairs separation efficiency, and also the strong H₂ evolution ability of NiS_x. Considering the novel and convenient synthesis conditions and outstanding catalytic performance, the presented work would have great value for developing alternative approaches to realize practical utilization of photocatalytic H₂ production and also other relating fields.