Development of visible light responsive composite photocatalytic materials, and further to separate and locate photogenerated charges on different components are necessary for stable and high efficient hydrogen evolution in photocatalystic water splitting. Through a one pot surfactant-free hydrothermal route, a mesoporous ZnS shell is in situ grown on a CdS core, which is a quasi-type II structured CdS–ZnS core–shell composite. However, by identifying the oxidative and reductive sites of the core–shell structure under visible light, it is evidenced that the core–shell has a quasi-type II structure. Combining with the carrier dynamics via time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, it indicates that defect states in ZnS shell assists generated holes of CdS core to transfer to ZnS shell, leaving CdS and avoiding photocorrosion of CdS. As a result, the hydrogen evolution rate over CdS–ZnS is 169 and 56 times higher than that of ZnS and CdS under visible light, respectively. Moreover, the core–shell particles show excellent photocatalytic stability over 60 hours.

CdS–mesoporous ZnS core–shell particles of Type I structure for efficient and stable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under visible light

249th National Meeting (2015)

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