Noble-metal-free Zn0.5Cd0.5S@MoS2 core@shell heterostructures for visible-light-driven H2 evolution with enhanced efficiency and stability

Photocatalytic H-2 evolution from water splitting offers an attractive scientific and technological method to address the energy and environmental crisis. In this study, noble-metal-free Zn0.5Cd0.5S@MoS2 core@shell nanoheterostructures were elaborately designed and successfully synthesized. The visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance investigation shows that the Zn0.5Cd0.5S@MoS2 exhibits a state-of-the-art H-2 evolution rate of 40.2 mmol g(-1) h(-1) far exceeding that of pristine Zn0.5Cd0.5S by more than 57 times. Moreover, thanks to the protection of MoS2 shells, the Zn0.5Cd0.5S@MoS2 can retain long-term stability in four-cycles of 24 h reactions. Furthermore, a tentative mechanism on H-2 generation was systematically investigated and proposed, which contributes to understand the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the Zn0.5Cd0.5S@MoS2 heterostructures and may inspire the synthesis of other desirable catalytic systems.