An Efficient and Stable MoS₂ /Zn_0.5 Cd_0.5 S Nanocatalyst for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution by water splitting is highly important for the application of hydrogen energy and the replacement of fossil fuel by solar energy, which needs the development of efficient catalysts with long-term catalytic stability under light irradiation in aqueous solution. Herein, Zn_0.5 Cd_0.5 S solid solution was synthesized by a metal-organic framework-templated strategy and then loaded with MoS₂ by a hydrothermal method to fabricate a MoS₂ /Zn_0.5 Cd_0.5 S heterojunction for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The composition of MoS₂ /Zn_0.5 Cd_0.5 S was fine-tuned to obtain the optimized 5 wt % MoS₂ /Zn_0.5 Cd_0.5 S heterojunction, which showed a superior hydrogen evolution rate of 23.80 mmol h^-1 g^-1 and steady photocatalytic stability over 25 h. The photocatalytic performance is due to the appropriate composition and the formation of an intimate interface between MoS₂ and Zn_0.5 Cd_0.5 S, which endows the photocatalyst with high light-harvesting ability and effective separation of photogenerated carriers.