Effect of Pt-Pd hybrid nano-particle on CdS's activity for water splitting under visible light

This paper focuses on the Pt-based bi-metal co-catalyst of CdS in hydrogen generation from water-splitting under visible light (300 W Xe light (wavelength > 420 nm)). Pt-Pd hybrid NPs was prepared by two-step chemical reduction, and loaded on CdS photo-catalyst by photo-induced electrons at the same time when water splitting reaction was occurring. According to the experimental results, the photo-activity is significantly promoted as Pt-Pd bi-metal NPs modified on the surface of CdS. The H2 evolution rate of Pt-Pd/CdS is high up to 25.28 mmol/h/gCat., ca. 2.4 times as much as that of Pt/CdS, and 3.8 times as much as that of Pd/CdS. HRTEM/ED/EDS, XPS indicated that the so-obtained Pt-Pd hybrid NPs with a particle size of 5-8 nm was of similar twin structure. PL lifetime revealed that the high active of Pt-Pd/CdS lied in its high separation efficiency of the photo-induced carriers.267