Synergistic Coordination and Surface Plasmon Resonance of Quantum Dots in Enhancing Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Recent studies have revealed that the integration of metal nanoparticles (NPs) with photocatalysts allows the metal NPs to serve as cocatalysts, significantly enhancing reactant efficiency near nanostructures through the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect. On this basis, we synthesized highly reactive FePt quantum dots (FePt QDs) with tailored configurations, manipulating the Pt coordination environment and combining FePt QDs with ultrathin two-dimensional nickel metal–organic layer (Ni-MOL) nanosheets. X-ray absorption fine spectroscopy (XAFS) confirmed the distinctive Pt–Fe configuration after photoactivation. The optimized loading amount of FePt QDs led to a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) yield of 113 mmol·g –1 ·h –1 after activation, with the catalyst remaining stable over five cycles. The improved reaction efficiency stemmed from Pt coordination adjustments and a localized SPR effect, supported by ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis), infrared (IR), Raman, and XAFS characterizations. A comparative analysis was conducted with Ni-MOL deposited with platinum NPs, further underscoring the distinct advantages of FePt QDs and corroborating by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which revealed favorable d-band center properties. These findings offer a promising avenue for the development of highly efficient and stable nanoalloy photocatalysts.