Facile Synthesis of Ni3S2/ZnIn2S4 Photocatalysts for Benzyl Alcohol Splitting: A Pathway to Sustainable Hydrogen and Benzaldehyde

The escalating concerns about global warming and energy shortages have presented an urgent need for efficient and environmentally sustainable hydrogen production methods. This work presents an efficient Ni3S2/ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) composite photocatalyst synthesized via a hydrothermal process, demonstrating enhanced performance for hydrogen evolution and benzyl alcohol oxidation under visible-light irradiation. Specifically, the optimized 3.2% Ni3S2/ZIS composite achieves hydrogen and benzaldehyde production rates of 4.342 mmol g–1 h–1 and 4.213 mmol g–1 h–1, respectively, 1.79 and 1.76 times greater than those of pristine ZIS. The system exhibits excellent selectivity, producing benzaldehyde as the sole by-product, and maintains stability over multiple reaction cycles. Mechanistic studies reveal that Ni3S2 facilitates charge separation and accelerates reaction dynamics by providing conductive channels and enhancing catalytic activity at the ZIS interface. These findings highlight the potential of Ni3S2/ZIS composites as cost-effective, scalable, and noble-metal-free photocatalysts for hydrogen production and green chemical synthesis, offering a promising pathway toward energy sustainability.