Cd/Pt Precursor Solution for Solar H<sub>2</sub> Production and in situ Photochemical Synthesis of Pt Single‐atom Decorated CdS Nanoparticles
Pankaj Sharma, Monika Sharma, Malcolm Dearg, Martin C. Wilding, Thomas J. A. Slater, C. Richard A. Catlow
Abstract
Abstract Despite extensive efforts to develop high‐performance H 2 evolution catalysts, this remains a major challenge. Here, we demonstrate the use of Cd/Pt precursor solutions for significant photocatalytic H 2 production (154.7 mmol g −1 h −1 ), removing the need for a pre‐synthesized photocatalyst. In addition, we also report simultaneous in situ synthesis of Pt single‐atoms anchored CdS nanoparticles (Pt SA ‐CdS IS ) during photoirradiation. The highly dispersed in situ incorporation of extensive Pt single atoms on CdS IS enables the enhancement of active sites and suppresses charge recombination, which results in exceptionally high solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion efficiency of ≈1 % and an apparent quantum yield of over 91 % (365 nm) for H 2 production. Our work not only provides a promising strategy for maximising H 2 production efficiency but also provides a green process for H 2 production and the synthesis of highly photoactive Pt SA ‐CdS IS nanoparticles.