Construction of Ni3S4@ZIS@C3N5 photocatalyst with type II and Z-type heterojunctions by self-assembly for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

A novel ternary photocatalyst Ni 3 S 4 @ZIS@C 3 N 5 with type II and Z-type heterojunctions was synthesized for the first time by hydrothermal and electrostatic self-assembly methods, effectively avoiding the thermal decomposition of C 3 N 5 during the synthesis of the complex. The best ternary catalyst Ni 3 S 4 @ZIS@C 3 N 5 is capable of achieving an optimal hydrogen evolution rate of 9750 mmol g −1 h −1 , which is approximately 10.89 times as high as that of C 3 N 5 , indicating that the complex effectively enhanced the photocatalytic properties of the monomer . The coexistence of two types of heterojunctions in the complex effectively enhances photocatalytic performance, in which the monomer ZIS constructs type II scheme with Ni 3 S 4 and Z-type scheme with C 3 N 5 , respectively. The two heterojunctions complement each other and jointly promote the rapid electron transfer from Ni 3 S 4 and C 3 N 5 to the ZIS surface. In conclusion, the cooperation of the two heterojunctions efficiently facilitates the migration of photogenerated carriers, thus enhancing the photocatalytic hydrogen generation performance of Ni 3 S 4 @ZIS@C 3 N 5 .