Size- and composition-dependent photocatalytic hydrogen production over colloidal Cd1-xZnxSe nanocrystals

Colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as a new kind of photocatalysts for solar hydrogen production due to the tunable optical and photoelectrical properties. Herein, size- and composition-tunable alloyed Cd1-xZnxSe NCs were successfully prepared via a one-step hot injection method for photocatalytic hydrogen production under visible light irradiation. By prolonging the reaction time, CdSe NCs with the varied particle sizes were firstly fabricated. It is found that the driving force derived from the difference between conduction band position of CdSe NCs and water reduction potential played a key role in determining the photocatalytic performance. The larger driving force from smaller particle size would give rise to a faster electron transfer and better photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, a series of alloyed Cd1-xZnxSe NCs with different compositions were prepared. With the increased zinc amount, the photocatalytic activity of Cd1-xZnxSe NCs was initially increased and then decreased. Cd1-xZnxSe with the moderate Zn content exhibited the best photocatalytic hydrogen production. It is inferred that the photocatalytic performance of Cd1-xZnxSe NCs has a close relationship with the driving force and crystal structure. The present study can provide a guidance to develop efficient nanocrystal photocatalysts by simply controlling the particle size and composition.