Fabrication and Performance of a 3D Porous Graphene Aerogel-Supported Ni–ZnS Composite Photocatalyst

The performance of a Ni-ZnS/three-dimensional (3D) graphene aerogel (GA) composite photocatalyst for hydrogen production was investigated in this study. Ni-ZnS precursor was loaded on 3D graphene aerogel through a simple solvothermal method, and the composite Ni-ZnS/GA was successfully synthesized. The average hydrogen production rate of Ni-ZnS/GA-4 can reached 12.06 mmol & sdot;g- 1 & sdot;h- 1 and after three cycles for 9 h, the hydrogen production efficiency remained at 97.81%. Ni2+ doping provided suitable band gap for ZnS, which could fully absorb sunlight, and made the photo-generated carriers have sufficient redox ability. The large specific surface of 3D graphene gel enhanced the dispersion of nano Ni-ZnS, boosted photo-generated carrier separation, and accelerated sacrificial agent adsorption. The Ni-ZnS/GA composite had more active adsorption sites and photocatalytic reaction centers, improving photocatalytic activity and efficiency.