Tuning Charge Transfer Dynamics in Ni‐Polyoxometalate/CdS S‐Scheme Heterojunction to Boost Synergistic Photocatalysis of Hydrogen Evolution and Benzyl Alcohol Valorization

ABSTRACT Converting benzyl alcohol into benzaldehyde and hydrogen through photocatalytic oxidation is an effective approach to produce high‐value‐added chemicals and green energy. Hence, we adopted a physical method to synthesize a dual‐functional Ni 3 (PW 12 O 40 ) 2 /CdS S‐scheme photocatalyst and verified that Ni 3 (PW 12 O 40 ) 2 can enhance the efficiency of CdS for benzyl alcohol valorization and hydrogen evolution. This optimized Ni 3 (PW 12 O 40 ) 2 /CdS‐20 composite displayed hydrogen production rate and benzaldehyde generation rate of 4.42 and 3.66 mmol·g −1 ·h −1 , which are 7.6‐ and 11.4‐fold higher than those of pristine CdS. In addition, the S‐scheme charge transfer mechanism was proved through some experimental characterizations. The results indicate that the S‐scheme heterojunction constructed from this composite material can efficiently facilitate the separation and migration of photogenerated carriers, thereby increasing the photocatalytic ability. This study provides a promising reference for incorporating polyoxometalates into metal sulfides to achieve efficient photocatalytic redox reactions.