Integration Of An Aminopyridine Derived Cobalt Based Homogenous Cocatalyst With A Composite Photocatalyst To Promote H-2 Evolution From Water

Inexpensive cocatalysts are promising materials to improve the performance of photocatalytic systems. However, a cocatalyst can be anchored onto a photosensitizer in certain amount and further loading can hinder the visible light by blocking the active sites of the photosensitizer. Herein, we introduce the utilization of a cobalt based homogenous cocatalyst with composite photocatalyst CdS/Ni3C. The homogenous cocatalyst did not occupy the physical space on the photosensitizer and the performance of CdS/Ni3C was significantly enhanced from 263 mu mol h(-1) to 750 mu mol h(-1). The present study showed that homogenous cocatalysts paved a way to further capture the electrons from photoexcited composite photocatalysts and have great potential to enhance the photocatalytic performance for low cost H-2 evolution under visible light.