Efficient, hydrogen production by a composite CdS/Mesoporous zirconium titanium phosphate photocatalyst under visible light

A novel composite CdS/meoporous zirconium titanium phosphate (ZTP) photocatalyst working under visible light, was successfully prepared by a two-step thermal sulfidation procedure. The composite photocatalyst prepared by this method was found to show an activity superior to that of catalysts prepared by direct sulfidation either at room or high temperature. By choosing different Zr/Ti ratios, the conduction band of ZTP could be continuously adjusted. The optimal Zr/Ti ratio was found to be 1:3, where the energy difference between the conduction bands of US and ZTP can ensure a large driving force for fluent electron transfer from US to ZTP and the conduction band of ZTP substrate is still high enough for efficient hydrogen production. The quantum yield of this composite photocatalyst at 420 nm as measured in experiments reached 27.2%.