Synergetic Integration of Cu_1.94S–Zn_<i>x</i>Cd_1–<i>x</i>S Heteronanorods for Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Abstract

In this Communication, we present the integration of synergetic designs into high-quality, well-defined Cu1.94S-ZnxCd1-xS heteronanorods (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. These heteronanorods possess two light absorbers, intimate heterointerfaces, tunable band gaps over a wide range, and uniform one-dimensional morphology. As verified by experimental and density functional theory studies, these heteronanorods with continuous composition adjustment fully exploit the benefits of both interfacial charge separation and optimized band alignments. Even without any cocatalysts, Cu1.94S-Zn0.23Cd0.77S heteronanorods exhibit efficient hydrogen production activity (7735 μmol h(-1) g(-1)) under visible-light irradiation (λ > 420 nm), representing a 59-fold enhancement compared with the pristine CdS catalyst. Meanwhile, deposition of a Pt cocatalyst on the Cu1.94S-ZnxCd1-xS surface substantially enhances the hydrogen production performance (13 533 μmol h(-1) g(-1)) with an apparent quantum efficiency of 26.4% at 420 nm, opening up opportunities to promote the overall photocatalytic performance using rationally designed nanostructures.