Step-scheme ZnO@ZnS hollow microspheres for improved photocatalytic H2 production performance

Constructing a step-scheme heterojunction at the interface between two semiconductors is an efficient way to optimize the redox ability and accelerate the charge carrier separation of a photocatalytic system for achieving high photocatalytic performance. In this study, we prepared a hierarchical [email protected] step-scheme photocatalyst by incorporating ZnS into the outer shell of hollow ZnO microspheres via a simple in situ sulfidation strategy. The [email protected] step-scheme photocatalysts had a large surface area, high light utilization capacity, and superior separation efficiency for photogenerated charge carriers. In addition, the material simulation revealed that the formation of the step-scheme heterojunction between ZnO and ZnS was due to the presence of the built-in electric field. Our study paves the way for design of high-performance photocatalysts for H2 production.