One‐Pot MOFs‐Encapsulation Derived In‐Doped ZnO@In₂O₃ Hybrid Photocatalyst for Enhanced Visible‐Light‐Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract The development of visible‐light‐induced photocatalysts is one of the critically important issues because it offers a green and sustainable route for solar energy conversion. Herein, In‐doped ZnO@In₂O₃ hybrid photocatalysts are designed and constructed through a one‐pot metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs)‐encapsulation‐derived method. The photocatalytic activity of the sample photocatalysts is systematically investigated by photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation. The composition of the hybrid photocatalysts is also controlled to find the best photocatalytic activities. Interestingly, using a visible‐light irradiation source, the optimized In‐doped ZnO@In₂O₃ photocatalyst shows an H₂ evolution rate of 417 µmol∙g⁻¹∙h⁻¹, which is nearly 20 times higher than that of the In‐doped ZnO sample and also exceeds most ZnO‐based catalysts ever reported. The enhanced catalytic performance is ascribed to the increased visible‐light response and enhanced charge separation efficiency by the synergistic effects of electron‐trapped In doping and electron‐donated In₂O₃ coupling. This work presents a promising pathway for fabricating MOFs‐encapsulation derived visible‐light‐driven composites for high photocatalytic performance towards hydrogen evolution.