Interfacial Engineering of Raspberry-like UiO-67/Zn0.5Cd0.5S Heterojunctions for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract Zn0.5Cd0.5S (ZCS) is a promising photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution; however, its practical application is hindered by inefficient charge utilization and susceptibility to light-induced corrosion. To overcome these drawbacks, octahedral UiO-67 was employed as a scaffold for the in situ assembly of ZCS nanoparticles, forming an interfacially integrated type II heterojunction. The resulting UiO-67/ZCS composite exhibits a photocatalytic H2 production rate of 3339 μmol h–1 g–1 under full-spectrum irradiation, exceeding that of pure ZCS by a factor of 6.12 and achieving an AQY of 5.2% at 380 nm. Mechanistic investigations indicate that the UiO-67/ZCS heterostructure forms interfacial Zr–S coordination, which promotes charge migration across the interface and creates an internal electric field that enhances spatial charge separation while mitigating photocorrosion. This study provides a viable strategy for simultaneously enhancing the efficiency and durability of metal sulfide photocatalysts through MOF-mediated interfacial engineering.