Ni3(C3N3S3)2 coordination polymer as a novel broad spectrum-driven photocatalyst for water splitting into hydrogen

We have successfully synthesized a novel Ni3(C3N3S3)2 coordination polymer by a facile wet-chemical rout for the first time. Specifically, the as-prepared Ni3(C3N3S3)2 possessed UV-vis-NIR broad spectrum absorption and can be acted as a board spectrum-driven photocatalyst for water splitting into hydrogen. As expected, the H2 production performance from pure water over Ni3(C3N3S3)2 was realized through from UV (λ < 400 nm) to Vis (400 ≤ λ ≤ 760 nm) and NIR (λ > 760 nm) without any sacrificial agents or cocatalysts, and the amounts of H2 production are 65.3, 53.9 and 16.3 μmol corresponding to UV, Vis and NIR irradiation after 24 h, respectively. Significantly, the efficiency of H2 production and the stability over the Ni3(C3N3S3)2 could be improved with the assistance of triethanolamine. And the average H2 evolution efficiencies on Ni3(C3N3S3)2 were efficaciously increased by around 2-fold with the H2 production value of 112.6, 93.3 and 30.1 μmol for 24 h under the UV, Vis and NIR light exposure, respectively.