Synthesis of mesoporous core-shell CdS@TiO2 (0D and 1D) photocatalysts for solar-driven hydrogen fuel production

The hydrogen production from photocatalytic water splitting has attracted extensive attention, as a direct way to convert solar energy into a chemical fuel. Herein, we report straightforward a simple method to synthesize a mesoporous core-shell CdS@TiO2 (0D and 1D) photocatalysts with Pt NPs as a cocatalyst for H-2 fuel evolution under solar irradiation and presence of a sacrificial agent. The thickness of the TiO2 shell is conveniently controlled from 10 to 30 nm by simply using sol-gel chemistry. Tiny Pt NPs about 0.1, 0.5 and 1 wt.% were photodeposited on CdS@TiO2 nanocomposite during the photoreaction of hydrogen production. The effect of core-shell nanostructures on the photocatalytic activity was investigated, including the size, shape, and BET surface area of the CdS (OD and ID), and the thickness, surface area and porosity of the TiO2 shell. The prepared CdS@TiO2/Pt photocatalysts absorb in the visible region of the solar spectrum and exhibit an excellent photocatalytic activity, compared with those reported in the literature. The OD-CdS@TiO2/Pt photocatalysts achieve H-2-evolution rate up to 4080 mu mol during 6 h of sunlight irradiation. The mesoporous structure and large specific surface area of the prepared photocatalysts can accommodate more surface-active sites and facilitate the transport of charge carriers in visible light. (c) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.