Hybrid of AgInZnS and MoS2 as efficient visible-light driven photocatalyst for hydrogen production

We present a simple two-step hydrothermal method to prepare AgInZnS/MoS₂ nanocomposite. The morphology and compositional characteristics of the sample were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The as-synthesized heterostructures exhibited superior photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution under visible-light irradiation and the optimum loading amount of MoS₂ is at 0.5 wt%. In an attempt to explain this phenomenon, a possible mechanism was also proposed. The enhanced photocatalytic activities toward water splitting arise from the boosted active sites for hydrogen generation and the enhanced charge transfer. This work may contribute to the design and construction of highly efficient visible-light responsive photocatalyst for sustainable energy harvesting and conversion.