Nanoarchitectonics of Co9S8/Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanocomposite for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Photocatalytic hydrogen production is considered as one of the most promising solution to energy crisis and environmental issues. To develop efficient and inexpensive photocatalysts with strong absorption and high redox ability is critical important. In this work, a series of amorphous Co9S8/rod-like Zn0.5Cd0.5S binary composites were rational designed and synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. According to physical characterizations, the composite not only retains more effective redox potential but also improves the transfer rate of photogenerated charges. Besides, the DFT calculation suggests the free energy of H adsorption on the composite is weaker than that of the precursors, suggesting the desorption performance is critical for overall hydrogen production. The optimum composite gives the hydrogen production efficiency of 10.156 mmol h −1 g −1, which was 12.39 times that of pristine Zn0.5Cd0.5S. This strategy proves to be an effective way to develop high efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen production.