Hetero-structured ZnIn2S4-NiO@MOF photo-catalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution

To obtain a high-performance heterogeneous photo-catalyst, herein, the hetero-structured ZnIn2S4-NiO@MOF (ZNM) nano-sheets are designed and prepared by partial pyrolysis of nickel-based MOFs (Ni-MOF) combined with the low-temperature solvo-thermal method. The results indicate that the NiO nanoparticles, produced by partial pyrolysis of the Ni-MOF, have a high density of the surface active sites with limited aggregation, which act as a co-catalyst to capture photo-induced charge carriers. In addition, the morphology and structure of Ni-MOF nano-sheets were preserved in ZNM, which is beneficial to the reduction of the conduction barrier for the photo generated electron-hole pairs. With the synergetic advantages of co-catalyst and unique two-dimensional hetero-structure, ZNM nano-sheets exhibited significantly improved activity for photo-catalytic hydrogen production.