Photoelectrochemistry hydrogen production based on a Pt nanowires-bridged CdS nanorods array of piezoelectricity-triggered Z-scheme junctions

A vertical CdS nanorods (CdSNR) array is hydrothermally synthesized on an indium tin oxide (ITO) slice, and a novel Pt nanowires (PtNW)/CdSNR/ITO photoanode is then fabricated after the multipoint-bridging of the CdSNR by the photodeposited transverse PtNW. The piezoelectricity (PE)-enhanced photoelectrochemistry based hydrogen production is studied, giving a photocurrent density of 8.13 mA cm-2 and a PE-enhancement factor as high as 2.45 on this photoanode, and a hydrogen yield of 0.132 mmol cm-2 h-1 on a Pt cathode under optimized conditions. A new concept of PE-triggered Z-scheme (or S-scheme) CdSNR-PtNW-CdSNR junctions as the first example of external-field-triggered photoelectric junctions in the field is put forward to discuss the excellent hydrogen-production performance.