ZIF-67-derived hollow CoS and Mn0·2Cd0·8S to form a type-II heterojunction for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Photocatalytic hydrogen production technology is an effective method for solving environmental pollution problems and obtaining renewable energy. In order to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production, the development of new photocatalysts with high activity and stability remains a great challenge. In this work, we report the formation of CoS/Mn0·2Cd0·8S heterostructures by combining ZIF-67-derived CoS with Mn0·2Cd0·8S using a template method and exhibiting excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. Systematic studies have shown that the CoS/Mn0·2Cd0·8S heterostructure has a strong light-trapping ability, which enhances charge separation and transfer due to its abundant reactive sites and heterostructure. The photocatalytic hydrogen production rate under visible light conditions was 43.7 mmol g−1 h−1, which was 43.7 and 14.1 times higher than that of pure CoS and pure Mn0·2Cd0·8S, respectively. Importantly, the photocatalytic performance remained essentially unchanged after four cycles. In addition, the internal space of CoS/Mn0·2Cd0·8S can be effectively utilized to provide abundant reaction sites, which further promotes the photocatalytic hydrogen production.