Manganese Copper Sulfide Nanocomposites: Structure Tailoring and Photo/Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

In this paper, we present an L-cysteine-mediated hydrothermal synthesis of manganese copper sulfide (MCS) nanocomposites with versatile nanostructures and demonstrate their applications in photocatalytic and electrocatalytic hydrogen generation from water splitting. Variation of the Mn/Cu molar ratios in the precursors facilely tailors the MCS nanocomposites into one-dimensional nano wires or two-dimensional nanosheets, which are different from the zero-dimensional nanoparticles of pure MnS and CuS. By virtue of the well-interfaced heterojunctions formed, the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes is suppressed, giving rise to photocatalytic hydrogen generation behavior that is unattainable from either MnS or CuS. Moreover, the electrochemical conductivity is dramatically enhanced, rendering the MCS nanocomposites with improved electrocatalytic kinetics. This approach will contribute to an inexpensive and convenient synthetic strategy of transitionmetal-based nanostructures for functional applications in photovoltaic, electrochemical, and catalytic fields.