rGO encapsulated ZnS photocatalysts for enhanced hydrogen evolution

• rGO encapsulated ZnS catalyst was synthesized by ultrasonic method. • Influences of rGO on ZnS catalyst were characterized by several modern techniques. • rGO@ZnS exhibits enhanced physiochemical properties which efficient for H 2 evolution. • Superior H 2 evolution observed for rGO@ZnS (108.8 µmol· g −1 h −1 ) than rGO and ZnS. A facile ultrasonic method was utilised to synthesise high-performance hexagonal crystal-structured reduced graphene oxide-encapsulated zinc sulfide (rGO@ZnS) catalyst for high-performance H 2 evolution. The influences of rGO on the physicochemical properties of rGO@ZnS were determined by using various analytical methods. Results suggested that the prepared rGO@ZnS exhibits superior photocatalytic hydrogen (H 2 ) evolution (108.82 µmol· g −1 h −1 ) than pure rGO (14.31 µmol· g −1 h −1 ) and ZnS (38.46 µmol·h −1 ) under visible light irradiation. This finding can be attributed to the improved crystalline size, narrow band gap, and enhanced surface areas of rGO@ZnS. The presence of rGO on the ZnS surface can improve photocatalytic H 2 evolution by increasing light absorption, providing more active sites, and separating and inhibiting charge carrier recombination. The findings of this study may provide new strategies for the preparation of novel photocatalytic materials to enlarge the range of visible light utilisation.