Bimetallic MMoS4 (M = Ni, Co, Cu) cocatalysts architected CdS nanoflowers for synergistically boosting visible-light-driven photocatalytic H2 evolution from water and benzyl alcohol

Exploring efficient photocatalysts to facilitate water splitting into green hydrogen (H 2 ) energy is of great significance nowadays. In this work, we successfully synthesized CdS nanoflowers coated by zero-dimensional MMoS 4 (M = Ni, Co, Cu) cocatalysts using a mild two-pot solvothermal method. Notably, 2.5%-NiMoS 4 /CdS catalyst exhibits optimal photocatalytic H 2 evolution from benzyl alcohol aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation, and its photocatalytic H 2 activity (7269.5 μmol·h −1 ·g −1 ) is 10.1 times higher than that of pure CdS (716.6 μmol·h −1 ·g −1 ). Simultaneously, benzyl alcohol can be synergistically converted into benzaldehyde after dehydrogenation. Such excellent photocatalytic performance mainly benefits from the existence of an internal electric field (IEF), which is demonstrated by experimental analysis and density functional theory calculations. And the IEF greatly accelerates the separation of electron-hole pairs during the photocatalytic H 2 evolution process. • MMoS 4 cocatalysts architected CdS Ohmic-type heterojunction photocatalysts were prepared by two-pot solvothermal method. • NiMoS 4 /CdS showed excellent HER in low concentration of benzyl alcohol aqueous solution. • The photocatalytic mechanism was explored via experimental analysis and density functional theory calculations.