Rational Design of Novel Tantalum Based (CuTaS3/AgTaS3) Heterostructures for Photocatalytic and Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Abstract

The present investigation successfully synthesized a novel tantalum-based CuTaS₃/AgTaS₃ heterostructure using D-penicillamine as a sulfur source and investigated its hydrogen evolution capability using both photocatalytic and electrocatalytic methods. The structural and morphological features were examined using XRD, Raman, FT-IR, TEM and SEM with EDS analysis, respectively. The UV-DRS results ascertain the visible-light response and bandgap of the synthesized materials. Combining AgTaS₃ with CuTaS₃ reduced the recombination rate, as revealed by the photocurrent measurements of the materials. The photocatalytic hydrogen production for the as-synthesized materials was investigated by consuming Na₂S + Na₂SO₃ as a sacrificial reagent. The CuTaS₃ with 5% of the best AgTaS₃ loading gives off the most H₂ evolution rate, 1430 µmol/g, after 5 h of being exposed to visible light. Furthermore, the electrocatalytic measurements were performed to assess the CuTaS₃/AgTaS₃ heterostructure for water-splitting hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). The results displayed that the enhanced HER reactivity with lower overpotentials and Tafel slope when heterostructure was formed. The higher double-layer capacitance (C_dl) value shows how many more active sites were formed after AgTaS₃ was combined with CuTaS₃. These results confirmed that the CuTaS₃/AgTaS₃ heterostructure generated H₂ effectively in both electrocatalytic and photocatalytic processes. The present work may bring innovative perceptions for the advancement of tantalum-based sulfide materials for green hydrogen production.