Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of CdS@CuS core-shell nanorods under visible light

Desigin of earth-abundant highly efficient photocatalysts with unique nanostrcuture has become of great importance for solar energy conversion. Herein, novel CdS@CuS core-shell nanorods with ultrathin CuS shell and intimately contacted interfaces via cation exchange method were constructed for efficient hydrogen evolution under visible light. CdS@CuS core-shell nanorods could establish the Z-Scheme which promote the efficiency of charge separation. Moreover, the intimately contacted interfaces between the CdS core and CuS shell boost photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction more efficiently. In consequence, the obtained CdS@CuS core-shell photocatalysts exhibited remarkable photocatalytic activity (13.45 mmol/g/h), which was 8.3 times higher than that of pristine CdS. This work not only demonstrates the synthesis of a novel core-shell structured photocatalyst with high hydrogen evolution rate, but also provides a modal system for further improvement in photocatalyst design for hydrogen production.