Visible light photocatalytic H₂-production activity of CuS/ZnS porous nanosheets based on photoinduced interfacial charge transfer.

Visible light photocatalytic H(2) production through water splitting is of great importance for its potential application in converting solar energy into chemical energy. In this study, a novel visible-light-driven photocatalyst was designed based on photoinduced interfacial charge transfer (IFCT) through surface modification of ZnS porous nanosheets by CuS. CuS/ZnS porous nanosheet photocatalysts were prepared by a simple hydrothermal and cation exchange reaction between preformed ZnS(en)(0.5) nanosheets and Cu(NO(3))(2). Even without a Pt cocatalyst, the as-prepared CuS/ZnS porous nanosheets reach a high H(2)-production rate of 4147 μmol h(-1) g(-1) at CuS loading content of 2 mol % and an apparent quantum efficiency of 20% at 420 nm. This high visible light photocatalytic H(2)-production activity is due to the IFCT from the valence band of ZnS to CuS, which causes the reduction of partial CuS to Cu(2)S and thus enhances H(2)-production activity. This work not only shows a possibility for substituting low-cost CuS for noble metals in the photocatalytic H(2) production but also for the first time exhibits a facile method for enhancing H(2)-production activity by photoinduced IFCT.