Efficient H2 Production Using Ag2S-Coupled ZnO@ZnS Core-Shell Nanorods Decorated Metal Wire Mesh as an Immobilized Hierarchical Photocatalyst

Ag2S-coupled ZnO@ZnS core-shell nanorods heterostructures were grown on stainless steel wire mesh substrates along the c-axis by sulfidation of aligned ZnO nanorod arrays as immobilized hierarchical photocatalysts (Ag2S-coupled ZnO@ZnS/metal wire mesh) for photo catalytic H-2 production. The effects of the sulfidation time and AgNO3 precursor concentration on the morphology, crystalline properties, optical property, photocurrent response, and photocatalytic H-2 production activity of the photocatalysts under UV or visible light irradiation, together with the stability of photocatalytic activity for recycled photocatalysts were investigated. In comparison with ZnO/metal wire mesh under the same conditions, the ZnO@ZnS/metal wire mesh photocatalysts showed excellent photocatalytic H-2 production activity that can be attributed to the formation of Ag2S-coupled ZnO-ZnS heterojunctions on conductive metal wire mesh substrate that favors the absorption of light, separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and contact with the reactant solution. The H-2 production rates for Ag2S-coupled ZnO@ZnS/metal wire mesh photocatalysts reached 5870 and 168 mu mol g(-1) h(-1) under UV and visible light irradiation.