Constructing Film Photocatalyst with Abundant Interfaces between CdS and Ni3S2 Nanosheets for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Large scale and sustainable solar hydrogen evolution through photocatalytic water splitting requires highly active and stable earth-abundant co-catalysts to reduce water to H-2. There are still a series of key challenges existed for the practical application, although many efforts have been made, such as low efficiency, difficult recovery of powder catalyst and so on. In this work, we constructed a film-like photocatalyst CdS-Ni3S2/NF with abundant interfaces or junctions for the first time by integrating the CdS and Ni3S2 nanosheets supported on nickel foam (NF). The resultant photocatalyst exhibits a photocatalytic H-2 production rate of 100.50 mmol g(CdS)(-1) h(-1), which is about 6.8 times that for CdS-2wt%Pt/NF (14.86 mmol g(-1) h(-1)). And the rate of H-2 evolution can be expressed as 589.86 mu mol cm(-2) day(-1), which means 132 L H-2 could be generated by using 1 m(2) CdS-Ni3S2/NF photocatalyst under visible light irradiation in 12 h. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to the rich interfaces or junctions between CdS and Ni3S2 nanosheets, and excellent kinetic of Ni3S2 nanosheets for reducing water to H-2. This work provides a new avenue for developing high performance photocatalyst system for practically renewable H-2 energy generation and environmental remediation.