Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via Nitrogen and Sulfur Co‐functionalized Carbon Quantum Dot‐Modified ZnO nanocomposites: Experimental insights and mechanistic understanding

A chemical reaction that breaks down water into hydrogen and oxygen is fueled by light, usually sunlight, in a process known as photocatalytic H₂ production. The objective is to use solar energy to create clean hydrogen fuel, which is a viable source of sustainable energy that may be utilized in fuel cells, transportation, and other energy applications. Herein, we report the hydrogen generation efficiency of Nitrogen and sulfur co-functionalized NS-CDOTs/ZnO (NSCZ) nanocomposite. The hydrothermal process was used to synthesize. The prepared NSCZ nanocomposites were characterized by Raman, XRD, FTIR, XPS, Photoluminescence and UV-Visible spectroscopic studies. The developed NSCZ nanocomposite exhibits improved photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity of 378 μmolh⁻¹g⁻¹ which is ten times superior to that of ZnO (38 μmolh⁻¹g⁻¹). The decreased bandgap, reduced recombination rate, and better work function of the photogenerated eˉ,-h⁺ pair of NSCZ photocatalysts are responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation. The NSCZ nanocomposite exhibited active photodegradation for Methylene blue dye under visible light.