Strategy modulation of energy transfer for the plasmon-promoted hydrogen evolution in ternary CdS–Au–MoS2

摘要

? 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLCNano noble metals with surface plasmon resonance effect have been widely applicated in photocatalytic hydrogen production, however, the poor oxidation/reduction efficiency is the major obstruction for the extensive application of the water splitting. In this study, the ternary nanocomposite, CdS–Au–MoS2, is structured for the strategic modulation of the energy transfer of the incident light. Comparing with pristine CdS nanowires, an obvious improvement with the maximum H2 evolution rate of 11.43 mmol·g?1·h?1 was obtained after the conjunction of Au nanorods, and the photocatalytic activity was further promoted about ～2.04 times through the surface modification of the MoS2 quantum dots. A positive synergistic effect of the plasmon and co-catalyst was proposed, where the Au nanorods acted as the source of hot electrons while the MoS2 quantum dots served as the active sites for hydrogen evolution reaction. Compared with similar nanostructures reported previously, the present superior photoactivity response is ascribed to the plasmon-promoted effect combined with the co-catalyst, which corresponds to the electric field distribution of the finite-difference-time-domain simulation. These intriguing results expanded the comprehensive understanding of plasmon-assisted photochemistry and provided a promising strategy for the rational design of novel plasmonic photocatalysts.