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Fabrication of Core‐Shell Nanocolloids with Various Core Sizes to Promote Light Capture for Green Fuels
Author(s) -
Ren Yuanfu,
Liu Guoqiang,
Zhu Ting
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemistry – an asian journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.18
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1861-471X
pISSN - 1861-4728
DOI - 10.1002/asia.202001448
Subject(s) - materials science , fabrication , nanomaterials , core (optical fiber) , photocatalysis , nanotechnology , zinc sulfide , visible spectrum , chemical engineering , sulfide , shell (structure) , copper sulfide , zinc , optoelectronics , copper , composite material , chemistry , catalysis , metallurgy , medicine , biochemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering
Core‐shell nanocolloids with tailored physical and chemical merits hold attractive potential for energy‐related applications. Herein, core‐shell nanocolloids composed of zinc/copper sulfide (ZnS/CuS x ) shells and silica (SiO 2 ) cores were fabricated by a template‐engaged synthetic method. Interestingly, the sizes of SiO 2 cores can be tuned by different sulfurization time. In virtue of the light scattering and reflection on the SiO 2 surface, the efficiencies of light capture by ZnS/Cu 2 S shells were highly dependent on the SiO 2 sizes. The as‐fabricated SiO 2 @ZnS/Cu 2 S with a core size of 205 nm exhibited the highest and broadest absorption within a light wavelength of 380–700 nm. In virtue of the structural and componential features of these nanocolloids, maximum photocatalytic hydrogen (H 2 ) production rates of 2968 and 1824 μmol h −1 g −1 under UV‐vis and visible light have been delivered, respectively. This work may provide some evidence for the design and fabrication of core‐shell nanomaterials to convert solar energy to green fuels.