A ternary Z-scheme WO3–Pt–CdS composite for improved visible-light photocatalytic H2 production activity

Fabrication of advanced semiconductor system for photocatalytic water splitting into valuable hydrogen energy has attracted a lot of attention worldwide due to the increasing global energy crises. In this work, a ternary WO3–Pt–CdS composite was synthesized through coprecipitation and hydrothermal reactions. The ternary composite (i.e. WO3–Pt–CdS) showed a high hydrogen evolution rate of 390 μmol h−1 g−1 exceeding CdS alone (27 μmol h−1 g−1), WO3–CdS (55 μmol h−1 g−1), and CdS–Pt (135 μmol h−1 g−1). The enhanced photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to the formation of Z-scheme heterojunction between WO3 and CdS, which results in the effective space charge separation. Meanwhile, the Pt in the as-prepared WO3–Pt–CdS plays an essential role as a bridge for accelerating the charge transportation between WO3 and CdS. This work provides another effective way of developing visible-light-driven photocatalysts for practical application.