Highly efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution over MoS2/CdS-TiO2 nanofibers prepared by an electrospinning mediated photodeposition method

MoS2/CdS-TiO2 nanofibers have been successfully prepared by an electrospinning mediated photodeposition method for improving the interfacial contact between MoS2 and CdS-TiO2 nanofibers. The structural features, morphologies, and photo-absorption performances of the as-prepared samples were investigated in detail. The photocatalytic activity of a typical sample 1%MoS2/CdS-TiO2(60) nanofibers for H-2 evolution under visible light irradiation exhibits 3.0 and 4.0 times higher than that of 1%MoS2/CdSP25(60) and 1%Pt/CdS-TiO2(60), respectively. Based on the above results, it reveals that one dimensional TiO2 nanofibers can serve as excellent substrates for improving the dispersion of CdS and MoS2. Moreover, the intimate interaction among MoS2, CdS and TiO2 may be suggested by HRTEM images and elements mapping patterns. Further photoelectrochemical analyses show that the, effective separation of photogenerated carriers can be markedly accelerated. Finally, a tentative photocatalytic reaction mechanism has also been investigated. This work demonstrates that the method of combining electrospinning and photodeposition is feasible for the preparation of an effective MoS2/CdS-TiO2 nanofibers composite photocatalyst. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.