Effective tailoring of the MoS₂ layer number on the surface of CdS nanorods for boosting hydrogen production rate

Hydrogen fuel plays a ubiquitous role in empowering the sustainable green energy economy. As an eco-friendly production method for hydrogen, photo-assisted water splitting is accepted to be the most reliable. However, the fabrication of stable and efficient photocatalysts is challenging. To overcome this difficulty, here we present a novel and inexpensive oxidant-promoted ultrasonic-assisted liquid phase layer exfoliation technique to fabricate a CdS/H-MoS₂ nano hybrid. The newly fabricated CdS/H-MoS₂ shows a hydrogen evolution rate of 162.4 mmol g^-1h^-1, which is 16 times higher compared to that of CdS/Pt and 67 times higher compared to that of bare CdS. Theoretical results clearly demonstrate a built-in electrostatic potential in the heterostructure junction, and that a shift in water reduction potential plays a key role in the enhancement of hydrogen production rate. We believe that the proposed experimental strategies and theoretical studies will open up a new avenue to develop new photocatalysts with high hydrogen evolution efficiency.