Recent Advances in Cadmium Sulfide-Based Photocatalysts for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract

High-efficiency photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) relies on the development of inexpensive, stable, and efficient photocatalysts. Cadmium sulfide (CdS), as a typical binary metal sulfide, has attracted considerable research attention due to its negative conduction band position, narrow band gap for visible-light response, and strong driving force for PHE. However, the construction of CdS-based photocatalysts and the PHE rate still require improvement for practical applications. In this review, recent advances in CdS-based photocatalysts for PHE via water splitting are systematically summarized. First, the semiconductor properties of CdS, including the crystal and band structures, are briefly introduced. Afterward, the fundamental mechanisms of PHE using semiconductor photocatalysts via water splitting are discussed. Subsequently, the photoactivity of bare CdS with different morphologies and structures, CdS with cocatalyst loading, and CdS-based heterojunction photocatalysts are reviewed and discussed in detail. Finally, the challenges and prospects for exploring advanced CdS-based photocatalysts are provided.