MoS₂@ZnO Nanoheterostructures Prepared by Electrospark Erosion for Photocatalytic Applications

MoS₂@ZnO nanoheterostructures were synthesized by electrospark erosion of zinc granules in a hydrogen peroxide solution and simultaneous addition of MoS₂ nanostructured powder into the reaction zone. The morphology, size of the crystallites, as well as elemental and phase composition of the prepared structures, were examined using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that the synthesized products represent heterostructures containing MoS₂ nanoparticles formed on ZnO nanoparticles. Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence analysis were also used for characterization of the prepared heterostructures. The obtained MoS₂@ZnO nanostructures revealed an intense broad emission band ranging from 425 to 625 nm for samples with different fractions of MoS₂. Photocatalytic measurements showed that the maximal hydrogen evolution rate of the prepared nanoheterostructures was about 906.6 μmol·g^-1·h^-1. The potential of their application in photocatalytic water splitting was also estimated.