Construction of hollow TiO2/CuS nanoboxes for boosting full-spectrum driven photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and environmental remediation

Abstract

The plasma semiconductor Cu2-xS has disclosed enormous potential in the field of broad-spectrum driven photocatalyst design due to its unique LSPR effect in the NIR region. Nevertheless, ineffective carrier separation and severe photocorrosion hinder the further functional applications of this promising material. Here, the TiO2@CuS double-shell nanoboxes were successfully constructed via a multistep control strategy involving template participation, and were firstly employed to broad-spectrum photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and pollutant elimination. The hollow core-shell nanocubes with LSPR effect have prominent advantages in broad-spectrum light response, improved photocharge separation and effective photocorrosion inhibition. Besides, the heterogeneous cavity structure also provides a larger specific surface area and ameliorates the light efficiency. Consequently, the optimized TiO2@CuS double-shell nanoboxes exhibit superior activity for H2 production under full-spectrum/NIR light irradiation (2467 and 173 μmol g−1 h−1, respectively), and maintain high activity in the photodegradation of stubborn pollutants. This work will motivate hollow photocatalysts designed to effectively utilize the spectrum and protect the sulfide core.