Constructing the Sulfur-Doped CdO@In2O3 Nanofibers Ternary Heterojunction for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production.

ABSTRACT

An S-doped CdO@In2O3 nanofiber was successfully designed by in-situ electrospinning along and subsequent calcination treatment. Under artificial sunlight illumination, the S/CdO@In2O3-25 displayed a superior photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 4564.58 µmol·g-1·h-1, with approximately 22.0 and 1261.0-fold of those shown by the S/CdO and S/In2O3 samples, respectively. The experimental and theoretical analyses illustrate that the unique one-dimensional (1D) nanofiber morphology and rich oxygen vacancies optimized the electronic structure of the nanofibers and adsorption/desorption behaviors of reaction intermediates, contributing to the realization of the remarkable solar-to-H2 conversion efficiencies. Moreover, the staggered band structure and intimate contact heterointerfaces facilitate the formation of a type-II double charge-transfer pathway, promoting the spatial separation of photoexcited charge carriers. These results could inform the design of other advanced catalyst materials for photocatalytic reactions.