Efficient photocatalytic H₂production realized by Mn _xCd_1-x Se in situ heterojunction

Fast recombination of photoinduced carriers inhibits the performance of photocatalysts. By constructing heterojunctions, built-in electric fields can be formed to separate electrons and holes and finally enhance the photocatalytic efficiency. Herein, a Mn x Cd1-x Se in situ heterojunction was fabricated by a facile solvothermal method to draw upon this advantage. Absorption spectra show that the light absorption of CdSe raises up obviously after the doping of Mn2+. Best performance was achieved when the doping percent of Mn2+ was 50%. This Mn0.5Cd0.5Se sample exhibits a 7.2 folds increase in hydrogen evolution against pure CdSe owing to the fast electron transportation. Moreover, it proves well stability in an 18 h cycling test and gains a 6.7% apparent quantum yield under 420 nm light. In summary, this work constructs an in situ heterojunction to enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution efficiency and sheds light on a feasible way for the application of photocatalysis.