Noble-metal-free CuS/CdS photocatalyst for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic H2 production from water

Abstract Noble-metal-free photocatalysts are promising for converting the sustainable solar energy into chemical energies, such as H2. Herein, we combined CuS nanoparticles with CdS nanoparticles to form a noble-metal-free CuS/CdS. CuS/CdS shows a high ability in separating the photogenerated electron-hole pairs. In the visible-light-driven photocatalytic H2O splitting, an H2 evolution rate of 561.7 μmol h−1 is achieved on CuS/CdS. This is about two times higher than that on the noble-metal-based Pt/CdS photocatalyst (263.8 μmol h−1). Therefore, CuS is an excellent alternative to the noble metals for photocatalysis. These findings are helpful for fabricating efficient noble-metal-free photocatalysts.