Scheme Z Pd-NPs Embedded in 3DOM-LaCoO3-Dispersed pCN Heterojunction for Stimulating Visible Light-Catalyzed Solar H2 Production

This article describes a photocatalytic (PC) hydrogen evolution technology that utilizes Pd/LaCoO3/PCN nanocomposites. In the preparation process, a narrow band gap pure LaCoO3 phase was obtained using a template method, which was subsequently combined with Pd-NPs loaded with pCN to form a Z-scheme heterojunction. The formation of this heterojunction resulted in a material with improved charge transfer characteristics and electron well performance. Under visible light irradiation, the composite material demonstrated a higher PC hydrogen evolution activity, resulting in a H2 yield of 40.2 μmol g–1 h–1. This yield represents a 259 times improvement over pure pCN materials, respectively. Furthermore, in the presence of a sacrificial agent, triethanolamine (TEOA), the production of H2 increased compared to methanol, likely due to the more vital binding ability of the amine-containing pCN to TEOA. Finally, the study found that Pd/LaCoO3/PCN nanocomposites displayed excellent stability and reusability during three continuous cycles. These results suggest that this material may become an efficient and sustainable technology for solar fuel production.