Single-atom molybdenum modified ZnIn2S4 nanoflowers for improving photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance

Abstract

The construction of efficient photocatalysts with abundant active sites can effectively address the energy challenge of hydrogen production through water photolysis. In this study, we report an efficient photocatalytic catalyst, consisting of single-atom Mo-modified ZnIn₂S₄ nanoflowers, and propose a mechanism for photocatalytic hydrogen production. Using LA as sacrificial agent under the irradiation of Xe lamp (300W), the photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of the catalyst achieved 138.8 μmol‧h^-1 (per 20 mg of catalyst), which is 3.5 times higher than that of bulk ZnIn₂S₄. And the quantum efficiency of the catalyst reached 23.59 % at the wavelength of 350 nm, demonstrating good stability. The XANES, XPS, FTIR tests confirm that Mo is monoatomically dispersed in the form of Mo-O bonds. The uniformly dispersed single-atom Mo provides abundant active sites, while the formed Mo-O bonds facilitate electron transport and inhibit the recombination of electron-hole pairs, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of ZnIn₂S₄. This work offers a novel approach for the development of single-atom catalytic materials.