Developing a built-in electric field in CdS nanorods by modified MoS2 for highly efficient photocatalytic H2O2 production

Abstract

Light-driven O2 reduction reaction is regarded as a green and simple approach for H2O2 production in contrast with the industrial process. Along these lines, CdS nanorods (CdS NRs) were fabricated by the solvothermal method and modified by MoS2 in this work. From the Kelvin probe measurements, the existence of a built-in electric field (BEF) was demonstrated. The electric field that was developed at the interface between CdS and MoS2 could elevate the separation efficiency of the photo-induced electron-hole pairs, ensuring a high photocatalytic H2O2 production performance. Moreover, the incorporation of MoS2 provides a much larger active area and improves the stability for long-time utilization. The CdS NRs/MoS2 composites also display especially improved capacities for the efficient photocatalytic H2O2 production with 1350 μM h−1. A novel and feasible strategy is introduced to enhance the photocatalytic H2O2 production activity of CdS NRs, which will be beneficial to H2O2 evolution in actual applications.