Efficient ZnO1-xSx composites from the Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 precursor for the H2 production by photocatalysis

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Renewable Energy, Volume 113
Author(s): Octavio Aguilar-Martínez, Agileo Hernández-Gordillo, Raúl Pérez-Hernández, Próspero Acevedo-Peña, Alma Arrieta-Castañeda, Ricardo Gómez, Francisco Tzompantzi
ZnO1-xSx (x = 0.2, 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0) composites were prepared from the hydrozincite precursor (Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6) as Zn source by sulfidation during the solvothermal treatment using thiourea as sulfur source at different molar ratio. The sulfurized composites were characterized by XRD, FTIR, TGA, SEM-EDS, N2 physisorption, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. Additionally, photocatalysts were deposited onto ITO coated supports to perform their photoelectrochemical characterization. The sulfurized samples were composed of cubic-ZnO and cubic-ZnS with proportions close to the theoretical ones, given a ZnO1-xSx heterostructures. Mesoporous composites with large specific surface area (up to 207 m² g⁻¹) were obtained. All the obtained composites were evaluated in the production of H2 from a MetOH-water solution and UV light. The photocatalytic stability of the best composite was also evaluated for five reaction cycles. The photocatalytic properties of the ZnO1-xSx composite is explained as a function of the generation capacity of electron-hole pairs when the photocalyst is illuminated jointly with the charge transfer resistance of photocatalysts in a methanol-water solution.

Graphical abstract

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