Preparation of titania nanotube-Cd0.65Zn0.35S nanocomposite by a hydrothermal sulfuration method for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic hydrogen production

Titania nanotube-Cd0.65Zn0.35S nanocomposite (Cd0.65Zn0.35S-TiO2) was synthesized from titanate nanotubes for ion change of Cd2+ and Zn2+ followed by hydrothermal sulfuration treatment using thiourea as sulfur source. The Cd0.65Zn0.35S-TiO2 with enhanced crystallinity of TiO2 nanotube can be obtained by increasing hydrothermal temperature from 90 degrees C to 120 degrees C. And further increasing hydrothermal temperature to 150 degrees C, TiO2 nanotubes collapse and transform into irregular shaped particles. The photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production of the prepared Cd0.65Zn0.35S-TiO2 with different hydrothermal temperature was investigated under visible-light irradiation. The result shows that the Cd0.65Zn0.35S-TiO2 with hydrothermal temperature of 120 degrees C presents the highest hydrogen evolution rate and photostability, which can be attributed to a rapid charge transfer at the interface between Cd0.65Zn0.35S and TiO2 nanotube due to the increased crystallinity and unique 1-D nanotubular structure of TiO2. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.