Enhanced hydrogen evolution under visible light by a ternary composite photocatalyst made of CdS and MoS2 modified with bacterial cellulose aerogel

Heterostructure photocatalysts are developed for H-2 production from visible light. Because of their excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE), PCs made of CdS and MoS2 have been studied extensively. Important characteristics of PCs to maximize PHE are efficient charge transfer and high surface area. Bacterial cellulose (BC), which is produced at a large scale from wastes of the food industry, is a promising eco-friendly candidate to improve the surface area of PCs. Here, intact BC aerogel combined with MoS2 was added to CdS to form a ternary PC. CdS/BC-MoS2, synthesized via a low-toxicity process, exhibited a surface area enhanced 1.5 times as well as improved photoinduced charge separation. Structural analyses demonstrated strong interactions between CdS, MoS2, and BC in the composite PC, which was also more proficient at absorbing visible light. The PHE rate of CdS/10%BC-MoS2 of 20.02 mmol g(-1) h(-1) was 17.7, 12.4, and 2.8 times faster than CdS, CdS with 10% BC, and CdS with 10% MoS2, respectively. CdS/10%BC-MoS2 exhibited an excellent quantum efficiency of 56.29%. Additionally, CdS/10%BC-MoS2 was highly stable under visible light. These results demonstrate that BC is a suitable material to improve the performance and increase the sustainability of CdS-based heterostructure PCs.

Automated summary

The ternary photocatalyst of CdS/BC-MoS2, synthesized through a low-toxicity process, showed increased surface area and improved photoinduced charge separation. The composite photocatalyst exhibited strong interactions between CdS, MoS2, and BC, resulting in enhanced absorption of visible light and significantly faster PHE rate. Moreover, the CdS/10%BC-MoS2 photocatalyst demonstrated excellent quantum efficiency and high stability under visible light, making it a promising material for sustainable improvement of CdS-based heterostructure photocatalysts.