One-pot microwave-assisted synthesis of In₂S₃/In₂O₃ nanosheets as highly active visible light photocatalysts for seawater splitting

A facile one-pot microwave-assisted synthesis prepared a new noble metal-free heterostructure of In₂S₃/In₂O₃ nanosheets for blue LED-light-induced photocatalytic water splitting. The appropriate InCl₃ concentrations and reaction temperatures can grow the In₂S₃/In₂O₃ nanosheets with higher photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production under blue-LED light irradiation. In addition, the optimized In₂S₃/In₂O₃ nanosheets exhibited a higher hydrogen production rate is 618.0 μmolh⁻¹g⁻¹ in seawater without adjusted pH values under blue-LED light irradiation. Furthermore, the reusability of In₂S₃/In₂O₃ nanosheets revealed the gradual increase of photocatalytic hydrogen production efficiency in four cycles. This phenomenon shall be attributed to the reaction of In₂S₃/In₂O₃ nanosheets and seawater to form In₂S₃/In₂O₃/In(OH)₃ nanosheets, which can improve the recombination of the photogenerated charge carriers and light-harvesting capacity to promote their photocatalytic hydrogen production.