Highly efficient visible light-driven hydrogen production of precious metal-free hybrid photocatalyst: CdS@NiMoS core–shell nanorods

Well-shaped precious metal-free hybrid photocatalysts with low cost and high efficiency of photocatalytic H2 evolution are of great significance for clean energy. Herein, we report that NiMoS, a non-noble metal co-catalyst used for forming a well-designed one-dimensional (1D) CdS@NiMoS core–shell nanorod photocatalyst system, greatly improves the efficiency and durability for photogeneration of hydrogen in water. The intimate interaction between the CdS nanorod core and the NiMoS thin shell enhances the separation of the photogenerated electron–hole pair, and the large contact surface area improves the utilization efficiency of the photogenerated electrons. Consequently, the optimal loading content of NiMoS is 3 wt% for CdS, giving a photocatalytic H2 production rate of 185.4 mmol g−1 h−1, which is about 16.55, 5.24 and 3.85 times higher than that of 2 wt% Pt/CdS, 3 wt% CdS@MoS2 and 3 wt% CdS@NiS, respectively, and the apparent quantum efficiency at 420 nm over CdS@NiMoS reaches 21.82%. This study provides a simple method for constructing high performance and low cost photocatalysts, which enhance photocatalytic H2 evolution.