Fabrication of core-shell Prussian blue analogues@ZnIn2S4 nanocubes for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution coupling with biomass furfuryl alcohol oxidation

Abstract

Utilizing photocatalytic technology for the value-added conversion of biomass derivatives, alongside the production of clean hydrogen energy, represents a viable approach to addressing energy and environmental challenges. However, the design of cost-effective and efficient photocatalysts remains a significant obstacle. In this work, we employed open-framework Prussian blue analogs as co-catalytic centers and composited them with ZnIn2S4 to construct a series of core-shell nanocube photocatalysts with varying metal compositions. This unique structure provides abundant photocatalytic redox-active sites and effectively facilitates the separation and transfer of photoinduced charges. By examining the oxidation of furfuryl alcohol (FOL) to furfural (FAL) cooperative with H2 evolution, the optimal Ni-Co PBA@ZnIn2S4 sample exhibited remarkable catalytic activity, achieving H2 and FAL yields of 739.3 and 705.2 μmol g-1 h-1, respectively, which is approximately four times greater than that of bare ZnIn2S4. This study offers valuable insights into the design of photocatalysts and the selection of co-catalytic metal centers.