Active {010} facet-exposed Cu2MoS4 nanotube as high-efficiency photocatalyst

Rational design and facet-engineering of nanocrystal is an effective strategy to optimize the catalytic performance of abundant and economic semiconductor-based photocatalysts. In this study, we demonstrate a novel ternary Cu2MoS4 nanotube with the {010} facet exposed, synthesized via a hydrothermal method. Compared with two-dimensional Cu2MoS4 nanosheet with the {001} facet exposed, this one-dimensional nanotube exhibits highly enhanced performance of photodegradation and water splitting. Both theoretical calculations and experimental results suggest that the conduction band minimum (CBM) of the {010} facet crystal shows lower potential than that of the {001} facet. In particular, the up-shifted CBM in Cu2MoS4 nanotube is significantly beneficial for the absorption of dye molecules and reduction of H+ to H2. These results may open a new route for realizing high-efficiency photocatalysts based on Cu2MX4 by facet engineering.