Efficient visible light-driven H₂ production in water by CdS/CdSe core/shell nanocrystals and an ordinary...

Solar energy conversion to hydrogen has gained tremendous interest due to its great potential in solving the problem of energy crisis. Among different ways to achieve the goals of H2 photogeneration, the quantum dot (QD)-based multicomponent system has been proven to be one of the most prominent methods. Although significant advances have been made recently, the development of a practical visible light-driven hydrogen generation system with high efficiency and low-cost is still challenging. In this work, we report that a highly active catalyst could be simply obtained through the complexing of nickel ions with S(2-) or 3-mercaptopropionic acid, and after further combination with the carefully designed CdS/CdSe core/shell nanocrystals, the aqueous system exhibits a good stability and high efficiency for the H2 photogeneration. It is expected that our findings would provide new insights for the facile construction of a highly efficient and cost-effective solar H2 generation system for practical applications.