Abstract Ni2P/SiC and NiP2/SiC heterojunction photocatalysts were prepared by precipitation calcination method at different calcination temperatures. NiPx nanosheets were uniformly grown on the surface modified SiC nanorods. It was proved that the addition of NiPx as a cocatalyst greatly improved the photocatalytic performance of SiC nanorods by photocatalytic hydrogen evolution test and photoelectric performance characterization, which revealed that the supported NiPx as a cocatalyst effectively inhibited the recombination of photoelectron-hole and provided more active sites. The hydrogen evolution rate by NiP2/SiC heterojunction was as high as 481.96 μmol/(g·h), which was about 23 times of that by Ni2P/SiC heterojunction. And NiP2/SiC heterojunction showed better photocatalytic stability, which indicated that NiP2 had better electron conduction ability. Thus, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution ability of SiC nanorods was significantly improved. A summary of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions and charge transfer paths in the NiPx/SiC heterojunction were proposed to explain the enhanced activity reason of hydrogen evolution.
