Increasing the H2 production rate of ZnS(en)x hybrid and ZnS film by photoexfoliation process

Zinc sulfide nanosheets with different ethylenediamine contents (ZnS(en)0.5 and ZnS(en)0.25 hybrids) were prepared by solvothermal and hydrothermal methods at 100 °C and were sequentially sonicated-irradiated during 24 and 48 h to induce a photoexfoliation process. The influence of the photoexfoliation in the physicochemical properties and stability of both ZnS(en)0.5 and ZnS(en)0.25 hybrid nanosheets was investigated by diverse techniques: X-ray Diffraction, Textural analysis, Infrared, Diffuse Reflectance, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Then, the as-prepared and exfoliated hybrid nanosheets were deposited on glass substrates using spin coating. The photocatalytic H2 production of the films was evaluated using an ethanol-water mixture for 6 h and three reaction cycles. A significant increase in the amount of produced H2 was obtained for the exfoliated solvothermal sample, results that were correlated with the photoelectrochemical characterization of the films.