Atomically thin ZnS nanosheets: Facile synthesis and superior piezocatalytic H2 production from pure H2O

Abstract

Atomically thin wurtzite ZnS nanosheets (NSs) are synthesized via photocatalytic oxidation exfoliation of ZnS(en)0.5 process in room temperature and applied in piezocatalysis for the first time. On account of the excellent flexible, high piezoelectric coefficient, large mechanical energy capture area, rich and efficient catalytic active sites, the as-prepared ZnS shows superior piezocatalytic performance for H2 production from H2O without any co-catalyst and sacrificial agent. The rate of H2 evolution is as high as 1.08 μmol h−1 mg−1. Furthermore, this work would can not only enrich the high-efficiency piezocatalytic materials system, but can also provide a new idea for the exploitation of piezocatalysts with excellent performance in piezocatalytic H2 evolution from pure water.