A novel noble metal-free ZnS-WS2/CdS composite photocatalyst for H2 evolution under visible light irradiation

A novel ZnS-WS2/CdS composite photocatalyst for H-2 evolution under visible light irradiation has been successfully synthesized. The loading amounts of WS2 and ZnS on the CdS surface were optimized. A H-2 evolution rate up to 1224 mu mol.h(-1) has been achieved for the 9.6 mol% ZnS-1 mol% WS2/CdS photocatalyst. The enhancement of the photocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic effect of WS2 as co-catalyst and ZnS as passivation layer. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.