A highly efficient and noble metal-free photocatalytic system using NixB/CdS as photocatalyst for visible light H2 production from aqueous solution

• NixB NPs were firstly used as cocatalyst for photocatalytic H2-evolution reaction.
• A noble-metal-free photocatalytic system for H2-production was constructed.
• The NixB/CdS hybrid can achieve a highly efficient photocatalytic H2-evolution rate.

Photocatalytic H2 production from water is one of the most attractive issues for the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy. In this study, the NixB/CdS photocatalyst was firstly used for photocatalytic H2-evolution reaction and showed efficient visible-light photocatalytic activity and good stability for H2-evolution from aqueous solution. The optimal NixB loading content was determined to be 0.8 wt.%, and the corresponding H2-production rate reached up to 4.8 mmol·h− 1·g− 1 after a 10 h visible light irradiation. It is proposed that the loading of NixB on the surface of CdS could effectively increase the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes and greatly enhance the photocatalytic activity.

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