Construction of Electron Bridge and Activation of MoS2 Inert Basal Planes by Ni Doping for Enhancing Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Photocatalytic hydrogen production is one of the effective ways to address environmental pollution and energy crises. Herein, Ni x -MoS 2 /ZnIn 2 S 4 heterojunctions were constructed to improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes and increase the number of active sites for hydrogen evolution . According to the catalyst characterization and theoretical calculations, the Ni at the interface between Ni x -MoS 2 and ZnIn 2 S 4 can act as a bridge for charge transfer, the Ni―S bond is the active site for H 2 O dissociation, and the S site near the S vacancy on the Ni x -MoS 2 surface enhances the hydrogen evolution reaction . Benefiting from the synergistic effect of the S vacancy and the Ni-doped MoS 2 cocatalyst, the optimal Ni 0.08 -MoS 2 /ZnIn 2 S 4 exhibited the best hydrogen production rate of 7.13 mmol∙h −1 ∙g −1 , which is 12.08 times than that of ZnIn 2 S 4 . This work provides a new strategy for enhancing photocatalytic efficiency through the synergistic effect of surface vacancies and doping and the optimization of heterojunctions . The synergistic effect of electron bridge and activation of MoS 2 inert basal planes enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over Ni x- MoS 2 /ZnIn 2 S4 heterojunctions.