Preparation of ZIF-8 derived ZIS/CNF composite fiber and its solar driven photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Integrating the photothermal effect into the photocatalytic process can enhance the migration kinetics and separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers. In this study, indium zinc sulfide (ZIS)/ carbon nanofiber (CNF) composite photocatalysts were synthesized by regulating the loading of the ZIF-8 zinc source in the electrospinning precursor. Within this system, the carbon nanofibers act as a structural support to minimize catalyst aggregation and serve as an in situ photothermal source and conductive bridge, promoting charge transfer. The Morphological characterizations revealed that indium zinc sulfide nanosheets are uniformly supported on porous carbon fibers with ZIF-8 in situ formed cavities. The composite material exhibited optimal hydrogen production activity when the ZIF-8 loading was 1.0 g, achieving a hydrogen evolution rate of 12.78 mmol·g^–1·h^–1 under the simulated sunlight of AM 1.5G. Electrochemical test results further confirmed that the composite photocatalyst prepared with the aforementioned raw material ratio exhibited the charge separation efficiency and transport capability. Additionally, theoretical calculation results based on density functional theory (DFT) provide evidence for the influence of carbon fibers on photocatalysts. This work provides an effective strategy for achieving solar-driven photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production.