Photocatalytic production of hydrogen on Ni/NiO/KNbO3/CdS nanocomposites using visible light†

The photocatalytic production of H2 from water splitting was demonstrated on Ni/NiO/KNbO3/CdS nanocomposites using visible light irradiation at wavelengths >400 nm in the presence of isopropanol. The inherent photocatalytic activity of bulk-phase CdS was enhanced by combining Q-sized CdS with KNbO3 and Ni deposited on KNbO3. Enhanced activity is most likely due to effective charge separation of photogenerated electrons and holes in CdS that is achieved by electron injection into the conduction band of KNbO3 and the reduced states of niobium (e.g., Nb(IV) and Nb(III)) are shown to contribute to enhanced reactivity in the KNbO3 composites by mediating effective electron transfer to bound protons. We also observed that the efficient attachment of Q-size CdS and the deposition of nickel on the KNbO3 surface increases H2 production rates. Other factors that influence the rate of H2 production including the nature of the electron donors and the solution pH were also determined. The Ni/NiO/KNbO3/CdS nanocomposite system appears to be a promising candidate for possible practical applications including the production of H2 under visible light.