Exploiting active, stable, and cost-efficient cocatalysts is crucial to enhance the photocatalytic performance of semiconductor-based photocatalysts for H2 evolution from water splitting. Herein, we report on using vanadium diboride (VB2) as an efficient cocatalyst to enhance the photocatalytic H2 evolution performance of CdS nanoparticles under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm). The CdS/VB2 composites prepared by a facile solution-mixing method exhibit much improved H2 evolution activities in 10 vol% lactic acid (LA) solution relative to pristine CdS. The most efficient CdS/VB2 composite with 20 wt% VB2 (CB20) exhibits a H2 evolution rate as high as 12.1 mmol h−1 g−1, which is about 11 times higher than that of CdS alone (1.1 mmol h−1 g−1). Moreover, the highest apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 4.4% is recorded on CB20 at 420 nm. The improved photocatalytic activity of CdS/VB2 composite can be attributed to the excellent cocatalytic effect of VB2, which can not only enhance the charge separation on CdS but also accelerate the H2 evolution kinetics. This work demonstrates the great potential of using transition metal brodies (TMBs) as efficient cocatalysts for developing noble-metal-free and stable photocatalysts for solar photocatalytic H2 evolution.

中文翻译：

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二硼化钒作为高效助催化剂与 CdS 偶联，用于增强可见光光催化 H2 析出


利用活性、稳定且具有成本效益的助催化剂对于增强半导体基光催化剂的光催化性能以从水分解析出 H2 至关重要。在此，我们报道了使用二硼化钒 （VB2） 作为有效的助催化剂来增强 CdS 纳米颗粒在可见光照射 （λ ≥ 420 nm） 下的光催化 H2 析出性能。与原始 CdS 相比，通过简单的溶液混合方法制备的 CdS/VB2 复合材料在 10 vol% 乳酸 （LA） 溶液中表现出大大改善的 H2 析出活性。具有 20 wt% VB2 （CB20） 的最高效 CdS/VB2 复合材料表现出高达 12.1 mmol h-1 g-1 的 H2 析出速率，大约是单独 CdS 的 11 倍 （1.1 mmol h-1 g-1）。此外，CB20 在 420 nm 处记录了 4.4% 的最高表观量子效率 （AQE）。CdS/VB2 复合材料光催化活性的提高可归因于 VB2 优异的共催化作用，不仅可以增强 CdS 上的电荷分离，还可以加速 H2 析出动力学。这项工作证明了使用过渡金属溴 （TMB） 作为高效助催化剂开发用于太阳能光催化 H2 析出的无贵金属和稳定的光催化剂的巨大潜力。