Roles of MoS2 and Graphene as Cocatalysts in the Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic H2 Production Activity of Multiarmed CdS Nanorods

Abstract

The incorporation of cocatalysts into semiconductors is proved to be an effective approach to improving the efficiency of the photocatalytic H 2 production. Noble metals such as Pt have been widely used as cocatalysts and can significantly improve the performance of photocatalytic H 2 production. However, owing to the high cost and low abundance, the use of Pt in practical applications is restricted. Herein, we report two well‐known 2 D layered materials, MoS 2 and graphene, as highly active cocatalysts for H 2 production in CdS‐based photocatalytic systems. The CdS–MoS 2 and CdS‐MoS 2–graphene nanocomposites were prepared by using a facile two‐step solvothermal method, and the morphologies of CdS and MoS 2 can be well controlled. The as‐prepared binary CdS–MoS 2 nanocomposite exhibits the enhanced visible‐light photocatalytic activity for H 2 production in lactic acid aqueous solution compared with a CdS–graphene nanocomposite and a conventional platinized CdS photocatalyst. Moreover, the ternary CdS–MoS 2–graphene nanocomposite achieves the highest visible‐light photocatalytic H 2 production activity of 621.3 μmol h−1 and the apparent quantum efficiency of 54.4 % at λ=420 nm. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the CdS–MoS 2–graphene nanocomposite can be primarily attributed to the positive synergistic effect between graphene sheets and thin MoS 2 nanoplates. The graphene sheets can accelerate the efficient electron transfer from CdS nanorods to the active edge sites of MoS 2 nanoplates, and the nanosized MoS 2 can facilitate the photogenerated electrons participating in the photocatalytic H 2 production. The mechanisms for improving the photocatalytic performance of the MoS 2‐ and/or graphene‐modified CdS nanocomposites were proposed by using the electrochemical analysis and photoluminescence measurement.