Rational design and electron transfer kinetics of MoS2/CdS nanodots-on-nanorods for efficient visible-light-driven hydrogen generation

The efficiency of CdS-based photocatalysts for H-2 evolution is limited by the ultrafast charge recombination. Here, we demonstrated the one-pot synthesis of a novel MoS2/CdS photocatalyst with the structure of partially crystalline MoS2 nanodots growing on single-crystalline CdS nanorods. This heterostructure not only effectively reduces the bulk and surface charge recombination owing to single crystalline CdS nanorod matrix and efficient electron transfer, also provides plenty of active sites for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and accessible room for prompt hole extraction. The femtosecond transient absorption (TA) analysis reveals the effective electron transfer from CdS to MoS2 in similar to 20 ps. As a result, MoS2/CdS exhibits extraordinary photocatalytic activity with a H-2 evolution rate of 60.28 mmol/g/h under visible light irradiation, far exceeding all previous HER photocatalysts with MoS2 as cocatalysts. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.