Smart Hybridization of Au Coupled CdS Nanorods with Few Layered MoS₂ Nanosheets for High Performance Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

Fabrication of core–shell heteronanostructures with excellent optical properties and light induced charge separation effects have recently emerged as promising materials for solar to hydrogen conversion. Here, one-dimensional CdS–Au/MoS2 hierarchical core/shell heteronanostructures (CSHNSs) have been successfully synthesized by a facile two-step hydrothermal method. Such heteronanostructures exhibit high efficiency and excellent stability toward hydrogen production. The introduction of Au nanoparticles on to CdS nanorods not only made a Schottky junction with strong plasmonic absorption enhancement but also directed the growth of few layered MoS2 nanosheets as a hierarchical protective shell around the CdS nanorods. These CdS–Au/MoS2 hybrid structures possess a large number of edge sites in the MoS2 layers which are active sites for hydrogen evolution reaction. As a result, the CdS–Au/MoS2 CSHNSs exhibit outstanding hydrogen evolution performance which is 7 times that of pure CdS nanorods. Also these CdS–Au/MoS2 CSHNSs showed greater stability after a long-time test (16 h), and 90% of catalytic activity still remained. The enhanced hydrogen evolution activity of CdS–Au/MoS2 CSHNSs was attributed to the improved visible light absorption and the formation of heterojunctions between CdS, Au, and MoS2 components, which increases the charge separation efficiency and thereby suppresses the electron–hole recombination.

Constructing low-cost Ni3C/twin-crystal Zn0.5Cd0.5S heterojunction/homojunction nanohybrids for efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution

“…Among them, loading cocatalysts has been considered as one of the most effective strategies for accelerating H2-evolution kinetics and promoting surface charge separation. Previous studies have confirmed that noble metals, such as Pt, Ag, and Au, could efficiently improve the H2 evolution activity of semiconductor photocatalysts [27,28]. However, the high cost and scarcity of these noble metals significantly limited their commercial development and application [8].…”

Facile strategy for the fabrication of noble metal/ZnS composites with enhanced photocatalytic activities

“…12a). 52 The results of the capture agent experiment (Fig. 12c) indicate that $O 2 À is the main active substance, followed by $OH.…”

Controlled Growth and Bandstructure Properties of One Dimensional Cadmium Sulfide Nanorods for Visible Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

“…The two weak peaks at 465 and 605 are attributed to the exciton recombination, defect state emissions and S 2-related deep trap emission respectively. The intense emission peak at 545 nm is characteristic of band-band transition [54][55][56][57][58]. In addition, the PL spectra of remaining samples are also depicted in Figure 10.…”