MoS2-coated microspheres of self-sensitized carbon nitride for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation under visible light irradiation

We have successfully coated the self-sensitized carbon nitride (SSCN) microspheres with a layer of MoS2 through a facile one-pot hydrothermal method by using (NH4)(2)MoS4 as the precursor. The resulted MoS2-coated SSCN photocatalyst appears as a core-shell structure and exhibits enhanced visible-light activities for photocatalytic H-2 generation as compared to the un-coated SSCN and the standard g-C3N4 reference with MoS2 coating. The photocatalytic test results suggest that the oligomeric s-triazine dyes on the SSCN surface can provide additional light-harvesting capability and photogenerated charge carriers, and the coated MoS2 layer can serve as active sites for proton reduction towards H-2 evolution. This synergistic effect of surface triazine dyes and MoS2 coating greatly promotes the activity of carbon nitride micro spheres for vishible-light-driven H-2 generation. This work provides a new way of future development of low-cost noble-metal-free photocatalysts for efficient solar-driven hydrogen production. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.