LAUSR

Abstract Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have been widely applied as templates/precursors to synthesize porous materials for various applications. However, the MOF-derived solid solutions were scarcely reported. In this work, uniform monodisperse Cd0.5Zn0.5S nanospheres were fabricated via a facile solvothermal route using Cd–Zn–Fe Prussian blue analogs (Cd–Zn–Fe PBA) as the precursor. Compared with the Cd0.5Zn0.5S nanoparticles prepared by the conventional method, the Cd0.5Zn0.5S nanospheres exhibited higher specific surface area, better charge transfer rate and stronger light absorption capacity, which led to higher photocatalytic activity. The H2 evolution rate of the resultant Cd0.5Zn0.5S nanospheres was 4341.6 μmol h−1 g−1 under visible light irradiation, with a quantum efficiency of 4.5% at 420 nm. Besides, the Cd0.5Zn0.5S nanospheres also exhibited good stability during the photocatalytic reactions. The present work provides an idea for the preparation of uniform-sized solid solutions using MOFs as templates.