Photocatalytic activity of CdS nanocrystals doped with Ni and stabilized by polymer shell

Polymer-coated CdS nanocrystals were doped with nickel in different ways: (1) by thermal decomposition of Ni(acac)₂, (2) via photodeposition from NiCl₂ aqueous solution, and (3) using nickel bis(2-aminobenzenethiolate) complex in the polymer shell. The modification of nanocrystals with nickel resulted in threefold increase in the rate of hydrogen evolution in the aqueous Na₂S/Na₂SO₃ solution (pathways 1, 2) and 15- to 400-fold (pathways 3 and 2, respectively) increase in the aqueous solutions containing ascorbic acid.