The regular octahedral CdS/K2Nb2O6 core-shell Z-Scheme heterojunction towards enhancing photocatalytic H2 evolution and degradation via synergism of carrier efficiency and light response

The regular octahedral CdS/K2Nb2O6 core-shell Z-Scheme heterojunction is synthesized via an approach of hydrothermal-chemical method. The CdS/K2Nb2O6 nano-heterojunction (CdS/KNO-3) exhibits arresting enhanced photocatalytic HER (similar to 634.39 mu mol g(-1) h(-1))/degradation (similar to 0.05428 min(-1)) than the monomer K2Nb2O6 (similar to 27.8/14.4 folds) and CdS (similar to 20.3/10.0 folds), including a decent stability (average HER of similar to 621.39 mu mol center dot g(-1) h(-1)). It can be mainly attributed to the CdS/K2Nb2O6 Z-Scheme heterojunction with appropriate potential gradient can promote the interface carrier driving to optimize carrier efficiency, including increasing carrier transport, extending carrier lifetime and reducing recombination. Additionally, the octahedral core-shell nanostructure can provide numerous active sites for decreasing overpotential and promoting electron diffusion, while improving the solar efficiency (high solar response of CdS), including shorting carrier pathway for photocorrosion optimization and increasing structural stability.