Efficient H2 Production Using Ag2S-Coupled ZnO@ZnS Core–Shell Nanorods Decorated Metal Wire Mesh as an Immobilized Hierarchical Photocatalyst

Abstract

Ag2S-coupled ZnO@ZnS core–shell nanorods heterostructures were grown on stainless steel wire mesh substrates along the c-axis by sulfidation of aligned ZnO nanorod arrays as immobilized hierarchical photocatalysts (Ag2S-coupled ZnO@ZnS/metal wire mesh) for photocatalytic H2 production. The effects of the sulfidation time and AgNO3 precursor concentration on the morphology, crystalline properties, optical property, photocurrent response, and photocatalytic H2 production activity of the photocatalysts under UV or visible light irradiation, together with the stability of photocatalytic activity for recycled photocatalysts were investigated. In comparison with ZnO/metal wire mesh under the same conditions, the ZnO@ZnS/metal wire mesh photocatalysts showed excellent photocatalytic H2 production activity that can be attributed to the formation of Ag2S-coupled ZnO–ZnS heterojunctions on conductive metal wire mesh substrate that favors the absorption of light, separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, and...