Synergistic Coordination\nand Surface Plasmon Resonance\nof Quantum Dots in Enhancing Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Recent studies have revealed that the integration of\nmetal nanoparticles\n(NPs) with photocatalysts allows the metal NPs to serve as cocatalysts,\nsignificantly enhancing reactant efficiency near nanostructures through\nthe surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect. On this basis, we synthesized\nhighly reactive FePt quantum dots (FePt QDs) with tailored configurations,\nmanipulating the Pt coordination environment and combining FePt QDs\nwith ultrathin two-dimensional nickel metal–organic layer (Ni-MOL)\nnanosheets. X-ray absorption fine spectroscopy (XAFS) confirmed the\ndistinctive Pt–Fe configuration after photoactivation. The\noptimized loading amount of FePt QDs led to a hydrogen evolution reaction\n(HER) yield of 113 mmol·g<sup>–1</sup>·h<sup>–1</sup> after activation, with the catalyst remaining stable over five cycles.\nThe improved reaction efficiency stemmed from Pt coordination adjustments\nand a localized SPR effect, supported by ultraviolet–visible\n(UV–vis), infrared (IR), Raman, and XAFS characterizations.\nA comparative analysis was conducted with Ni-MOL deposited with platinum\nNPs, further underscoring the distinct advantages of FePt QDs and\ncorroborating by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which\nrevealed favorable d-band center properties. These findings offer\na promising avenue for the development of highly efficient and stable\nnanoalloy photocatalysts.