Composition Effect on the Carrier Dynamics and Catalytic Performance of CuInS₂/ZnS Quantum Dots for Light Driven Hydrogen Generation

Authors

Wenhui Hu, Marquette University
Sizhuo Yang, Marquette UniversityFollow
Jier Huang, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

12-5-2019

Publisher

AIP Publishing LLC

Source Publication

The Journal of Chemical Physics

Source ISSN

0021-9606

Abstract

Water soluble CuInS₂/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) represent one of the most promising single component photocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this work, we report the effect of cation composition in CuInS₂/ZnS QDs on the carrier relaxation and charge separation dynamics as well as their photocatalytic performance for the HER. With decreasing Cu to In ratio (increasing Cu deficiency), we observed slightly faster electron trapping and carrier recombination but significantly improved photocatalytic activity for the HER. This can be attributed to the enhanced electron transfer (ET) from the sacrificial donor to CuInS₂/ZnS QDs resulting from the lower valence band (larger driving force for ET) of QDs with higher Cu deficiency. This work not only provides important insight into the mechanistic origins of the HER but also demonstrated that altering the composition in CuInS₂/ZnS QDs is a viable approach to further improve their performance for solar to fuel conversion.

Comments

Published version. The Journal of Chemical Physics. Vol. 151, No. 21 (December 5, 2019): 214705. DOI. © 2019 AIP Publishing, LLC. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Hu, Wenhui; Yang, Sizhuo; and Huang, Jier, "Composition Effect on the Carrier Dynamics and Catalytic Performance of CuInS₂/ZnS Quantum Dots for Light Driven Hydrogen Generation" (2019). Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications. 1003.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/chem_fac/1003