In this work, novel CuGaS-ZnS p-n type semiconductor nanoheterostructures were synthesized by a solution route, and demonstrated experimentally to be a very promising visible light active photo-catalyst for water-splitting hydrogen production. The construction of CuGaS-ZnS heterostructures follows a multi-step strategy, employing CuS nanocrystals first as catalytic assistants for the hetero-growth of ZnS on their surfaces, and then as sacrificial seeds for the formation of CuGaS. Excitingly, attributed to the efficient charge separation introduced by the p-n heterojunctions, the hydrogen production ability of the CuGaS-ZnS nanoheterostructures under visible light irradiation is 15 times higher than that of the CuGaS component, and comparable to that of the CdS nanophase which is currently regarded as one of the most active visible photo-catalysts for hydrogen generation.
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