Engineering ultrafine NiS cocatalysts as active sites to boost photocatalytic hydrogen production of MgAl layered double hydroxide

Abstract Nonprecious cocatalyst decoration is of great importance to create more active sites on the photocatalyst surface and provides insights into the photocatalytic activity enhancement. Herein, through facile hydrothermal and precipitation routes, the surface of MgAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) was modified by ultrafine NiS nanoparticles as a cocatalyst to design MgAl-LDH/NiS hybrid photocatalysts for highly-efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation. The presence of NiS not only enhances the visible-light absorption but also promotes the separation and transfer of photogenerated charges, thereby boosting the photocatalytic activity of MgAl-LDH/NiS (35.8 μmol h−1) compared with bare MgAl-LDH (2.7 μmol h−1). The MgAl-LDH/NiS hybrid, moreover, displays a superior stability towards photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. This research offers a facile route to develop a high-performance photocatalyst using low-cost metal sulfide as cocatalyst for visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production.