Rare earth material CeO2 modified CoS2 nanospheres for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

The development of high-efficiency and low-cost photocatalysts for hydrogen production reactions is very important to solve energy problems. In this paper we study the photocatalytic H₂ evolution activity of a CeO₂/CoS₂ heterojunction catalyst under visible light. Characterization studies such as XRD and XPS proved the successful synthesis of a CeO₂/CoS₂ catalyst. The composite catalyst with a CeO₂ and CoS₂ mass ratio of 1 : 20 had the best activity, and the hydrogen evolution rate reached 5172.20 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹. BET and UV-Vis DRS characterization showed that the introduction of CeO₂ not only increased the specific surface area of the composite catalyst, but also improved the response of the photocatalyst to visible light. In addition, PL and electrochemical experiments showed that the electrons and holes of the CeO₂/CoS₂ catalyst could be quickly separated and transferred, thereby accelerating the kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction. This work provided an experimental basis for designing a composite photocatalyst with high stability and hydrogen production activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]