LAUSR

Abstract The technology of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) by water splitting is a clean and sustainable approach to solve energy crisis and environmental problem. Many efforts have been made to develop new materials for this technology. In the photocatalytic water splitting, the cocatalyst is pivotal in improving the photocatalytic ability of the main catalyst by transferring electrons and providing active sites of H+ reduction. Here we report a new bimetal phosophide cocatalyst of NiCoP. The NiCoP can significantly improve the ability and durability of PHE for water splitting. The PHE rate is maximized to 28412.6 μmol/g/h over a 8 wt.% NiCoP/CdS photocatalyst, which is 361 times of the 1 wt.‰ Pt/CdS (78.7 μmol/g/h) under the same water splitting condition. The apparent quantum yield in 100 h is about 36.8%. The long-time photolysis water reaction for 100 h with increasing photocatalytic activity exhibits that the NiCoP in CdS is highly stable in water spitting. We can control and improve the photocatalytic activity by regulating the Ni–Co ratio, which is an advantage relative to single-metal phosphides. The photo-induced charge transfer over NiCoP has been proved by photoluminescence and methyl viologen dication. It is indicated the non-noble-metal cocatalyst NiCoP can substitute noble metal to significantly enhance the PHE activity of photocatalysts.