ZnS Nanomaterials Research Articles

Inhibition of the growth rate of ZnS anode crystal plane: boosting photocatalytic hydrogen production performance

The catalyst's particle size plays a crucial role in enhancing photocatalytic performance. However, it is still unclear to analyse the mechanism by which surfactants affect the particle size of photocatalysts from the perspective of crystal growth. Herein, ZnS nanomaterials with different particle sizes were synthesized using a simple solid-state chemical synthesis method, and the intrinsic influence mechanism between surfactant and catalyst particle size was analyzed from the perspective of crystal growth. It was discovered that the particle size of ZnS kept getting smaller due to changes in polyethylene glycol, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, and sodium dodecyl sulfate. Analyzing the reasons revealed that the catalyst's particle size was related to the type of surfactant: anionic surfactants could reduce the catalyst size. Correspondingly, the catalyst with a smaller particle size has the optimal performance for photocatalytic hydrogen production. Photocatalysts Z-SDS exhibited outstanding photocatalytic performance, yielding 11.47 mmol/g of hydrogen after a five-hour illumination. Furthermore, the intrinsic influence mechanism between anionic and cationic surfactants, photocatalyst particle size, and catalytic performance was investigated. This investigation provides a new idea for synthesizing small-size and high-performance photocatalysts.

Investigation of antibacterial and anticancer activities of copper, aluminum and nickel doped zinc sulfide nanoparticles

First time compared the different metals doped ZnS nanoparticles for antibacterial and liver cancer cell line. In this study, copper, aluminum and nickel doped ZnS NPs were synthesized via co-precipitation method. The XRD analysis was confirmed the presence of cubic crystal structure and crystallite size decreased from 6 to 3 nm with doping elements. While as SEM micro-grains were revealed slightly irregular and agglomerated morphology with the presence of dopant elements. The presence of different dopant elements such as Cu, Al and Ni in ZnS NPs was identified via EDX analysis. The FTIR results demonstrate various vibrational stretching and bending modes attached to the surface of ZnS nanomaterials. After that the well diffusion method was used to conduct in-vitro bioassays for evaluation of antibacterial and anticancer activities against E.coli and B.cereus, as well as HepG2 liver cancer cell line. Our findings unveil exceptional results with maximum inhibition zone of approximately 9 to 23 mm observed against E.coli and 12 to 27 mm against B.cereus, respectively. In addition, the significant reduction in cell viability was achieved against the HepG2 liver cancer cell line. These favorable results highlight the potential of Ni doped ZnS NPs for various biomedical applications. In future, the doped ZnS nanomaterials will be suitable for hyperthermia therapy and wound healing process.

Hot injection synthesis of CuS decorated CdS and ZnS nanomaterials from metal thiosemicarbazone complexes as single source precursors: Application in the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

CdS and ZnS are considered excellent semiconductors for photocatalysis, but photocorrosion and low photocatalytic activity limit their practical application. In order to improve on their photocatalytic activities, Copper sulfide-decorated CdS and ZnS (CuS@CdS and CuS@ZnS) nanocomposites were synthesized from Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes of 2–(phenyl(pyridin–2–yl)methylene)hydrazine–1–carbothioamide, as single source precursors using a facile hot injection method at 250 °C, employing olive oil as capping agent. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of the as-prepared nanocomposites were determined using various analytical techniques. The results of powder X-ray diffraction (p-XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and elemental mapping showed the presence of CuS, CdS and ZnS in CuS@CdS and CuS@ZnS, confirming the formation of nanocomposites. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images show agglomeration of CuS nanoparticles on the surface of CdS and ZnS nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of CuS@CdS and CuS@ZnS nanocomposites revealed an agglomerated flower-like structure with porous surface. The band gap energies of 2.84 eV and 3.12 eV for CuS@CdS and CuS@ZnS, respectively, obtained from Tauc plots, demonstrate that combining CuS with single CdS and ZnS has an effect on their optical properties which probably account for the improved photocatalytic responses. The photocatalytic performance of the as-prepared materials was evaluated using the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under UV light irradiation. Results show that the degradation efficiencies for CuS@CdS (57 %) and CuS@ZnS (65 %) nanocomposites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity compared to those of pure CuS (42.0 %), CdS (35.1 %) and ZnS (57 %), suggesting that thiosemicarbazone complexes can be used as precursors for the development of metal sulphide nanocomposites as useful photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants.

Tunable band gap energy of l-Cysteine-assisted formation of Mn-doped ZnS interconnected nanoparticles for electro-optic applications

Interconnected pure and Mn2+-doped ZnS (ZnS: Mn) nanostructures were obtained via l-Cysteine-assisted synthetic strategy. The obtained interconnected nanostructures have been investigated systematically for their respective structural, morphological, optical and photoelectric properties. The attained XRD results reveal the cubic zinc blended structure of ZnS for all the synthesized specimens. The average grain size is found to be about ∼4.5 nm for the pure ZnS nanoparticles and ∼4.2 nm for the 3% Mn2+-doped ZnS nanoparticles which have been computed using the Debye‐Scherrer equation. The recorded TEM results indicate the interconnected nanoparticles of 4–7 nm forming the flakes which are about 200 nm in size for both the pure and Mn2+-doped ZnS NPs. Optical absorbance spectrum indicates the incorporation of Mn which induces a red shift whereby the maximum absorption of the material is witnessed. The band gap energy of the pure, 1%, 2% and 3% Mn2+-doped ZnS NPs are found to be 4.09, 3.75, 3.38 and 3.23 eV, respectively. PL peak intensity is linearly decreased with respect to the doping percentage. Enhanced electrical conductivity for ZnS nanomaterials doped with Mn2+ has been authenticated experimentally. Based on the optical and electrical properties, the Mn-doped ZnS NPs can be a potential candidate for electro-optic applications.

Synthesis and Characterization of ZnS Nanoparticles by Chemical Co-precipitation Method

ZnS nanomaterials were effectively synthesized by the chemical co-precipitation method by using Zinc Acetate (Zn (CH3COO)2·2H2O), sodium sulfide (Na2S) and Poly Vinyl Pyrollidine (PVP) as precursor materials. The reactions were carried out at ambient temperature. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed the cubic zinc blende shape of ZnS. Surface morphology of the prepared material was analyzed by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) techniques. The average particle size of the ZnS is found to be around 2 to 3 nm. Optical studies were carried out to calculate band gap energy by using UV-visible spectroscopy. The band gap energy of prepared ZnS nanoparticles is found to be as 3.7 eV.

Biomolecular Adsorprion at ZnS Nanomaterials: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of the Adsorption Preferences, Effects of the Surface Curvature and Coating.

The understanding of interactions between nanomaterials and biological molecules is of primary importance for biomedical applications of nanomaterials, as well as for the evaluation of their possible toxic effects. Here, we carried out extensive molecular dynamics simulations of the adsorption properties of about 30 small molecules representing biomolecular fragments at ZnS surfaces in aqueous media. We computed adsorption free energies and potentials of mean force of amino acid side chain analogs, lipids, and sugar fragments to ZnS (110) crystal surface and to a spherical ZnS nanoparticle. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA) coating on the adsorption preferences of biomolecules to ZnS. We found that only a few anionic molecules: aspartic and glutamic acids side chains, as well as the anionic form of cysteine show significant binding to pristine ZnS surface, while other molecules show weak or no binding. Spherical ZnS nanoparticles show stronger binding of these molecules due to binding at the edges between different surface facets. Coating of ZnS by PMMA changes binding preferences drastically: the molecules that adsorb to a pristine ZnS surface do not adsorb on PMMA-coated surfaces, while some others, particularly hydrophobic or aromatic amino-acids, show high binding affinity due to binding to the coating. We investigate further the hydration properties of the ZnS surface and relate them to the binding preferences of biomolecules.

Synthesis of ZnS Nanomaterials and Their Applications via Green Approaches: An Overview

Synthesis of ZnS Nanomaterials and Their Applications via Green Approaches: An Overview

Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of Zinc Sulphide nanoparticles using Microwave irradiation of Zinc complex of Thiosemicarbazone ligand as a Single Molecular precursor : Pharmacological activities

Single molecular precursors are appropriate starting materials for synthesis of semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs), which allow for the control of atomic ratio, monodispersity, composition and particle size of nanoscaled metallic sulfide nanoparticles. In the present study, we have reported the synthesis of nanostructured chalcogenides pharmacologically active active zinc sulfide nanoparticles (ZnS NPs) using Zn (II) ion inserted thiosemicarbazone ligand as a single molecular precursor .The precursors were thermally pyrolysized using high energy microwave radiations to obtain very fine ZnS nanoparticles. In this synthesis, we use DMSO as a nonpolar solvent for the synthesis of all compounds. The heating of Zinc complex in the non- aqueous environment of DMSO plays a very crucial role in decreasing reaction time, reducing the chances of side reactions and proper conversion of Zn complex into ZnS nanoparticles. In this reaction Zn complex of thiosemicarbazone ligand provides both Zn2+ and S2- ions for synthesis of ZnS nanoparticles. The microwave synthesis of ZnS NPs from Zn complex is a very simple, fast, highly effective, efficient and low cost method. All synthesized compounds were characterized by various structural, electronic, vibrational, optical, morphological and pharmacological characterizations. The prepared ZnS NPs were found to crystallize in cubic phase, which generally forms at low temperatures, with the dimensions dependent upon the molar ratio of molecular precursors used. Synthesized ZnS nanomaterials had surface sulfur vacancies that extend their absorption spectra towards the visible region and decreased the bond gap. This allowed ZnS nanoparticles to demonstrate various pharmacological activities like antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities under normal conditions. Powered X-ray diffraction studies confirms the formation of well -defined equispaced crystalline ZnS NPS. TEM and FE SEM microscopic studies confirmed the elongated tubules structure of ZnS NPs with an average particle size of 60 nm. Sharpe electronic absorption band at 390 nm indicates the synthesis of good quality ZnS NPs. The FT-IR spectral studies confirmed the presence of Zn-S stretching, N-H bending and C=N stretching, vibrations in molecular precursor as Zn(II) complex. The thermal analysis of molecular precursor was performed to investigate the thermal stability of zinc complex. The Zn complex was stable up-to 3800 c. All synthesized compounds demonstrated excellent pharmacological activities like antibacterial, antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities as compared to standards used in analysis of compounds. The microwave synthesis of ZnS nanoparticles via single molecular precursor in proper stoichiometric ratios is an excellent and an efficient method for synthesizing highly effective bioactive agents which can be considered as good drug candidate for the treatment of various diseases in future

Luminescence Properties of Nanomaterials

Pure and Cerium (Ce) doped ZnS nanomaterials were prepared at room temperature by a chemical synthesis method. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms a cubic zinc crystalline structure and the estimated size of the nanocrystals is in the range of 2-3 nm on average. The observation by scanning electron microscopy shows an inhomogeneous structure due to the agglomeration presented by the nanomaterial. The PL characterization indicates high luminescence intensity in the doped nanoparticles, so the application of this new nanomaterial in the optoelectronic and medical areas is possible.

Influence of ZnS crystal morphology on adsorption-photocatalytic efficiency of pseudocrystal ZnS nanomaterials for methylene blue degradation

Crystal morphology of nanomaterials has a strong influence on its adsorption-photocatalytic activities. In this work, ZnS nanomaterials (NMs) with various shapes were synthesized by substitution reaction using ZnO as templates. The obtained ZnS NMs existed in the forms of ZnO pseudomorph with cubic sphalerite structure and were composed of numerous nanocrystal ZnS. Due to its porous nature, short nanotubes exhibited better adsorption performance for methylene blue (MB) than nanosheets or nanotubes. Their photocatalytic efficiency for MB followed nanosheets > short nanotubes > nanotubes. There was a higher exposure ratio of {100} crystal planes on nanosheets than that on nanotubes or short nanotubes. The density of Zn-S broken bond on the crystal plane followed D(100) >D(110) > D(111). The higher exposure ratio of {100} crystal planes could not only endow ZnS nanosheets with a narrower bandgap, but also provide more sites to absorb reactants and trap electrons or holes.

Influence of capping agents on morphology and photocatalytic response of ZnS nanostructures towards crystal violet degradation under UV and sunlight

The capped ZnS NPs (ZnSM1 and ZnSM2) found to be highly photoactive towards crystal violet (CV) dye. Nearly 93% and 88% degradation of CV was observed under UV and sunlight whereas very efficiency was shown by uncapped (ZnSUC) and standard ZnS nanostructures. • Different capping agents influenced morphology of ZnS NPs. • Successful passivation of functional groups over ZnS surface. • Surface defects made ZnSM1 and ZnSM2 quite photo-responsive under sunlight. • Efficient photostability determined by recyclability of ZnSM1 and ZnSM2. • 88% of CV degradation was observed using ZnSM1 under sunlight. Photo-responsive ZnS nanostructures (ZnSM1 and ZnSM2) were synthesized using 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) capping agents respectively via reflux method. Capped photocatalysts hold unique optical properties such as absorption in visible region, multi band gap values and surface defects. Interestingly, structural analysis revealed that nanorods and nanospheres were formed with MPA and PVP whereas randomly arranged particles were formed without using any capping agent (ZnSUC). The successful passivation of COOH (1549 cm −1 and 1357 cm −1 ) in case of ZnSM1 whereas CH 2 (1284 cm −1 ) and C N stretching (1429 cm −1 ) for ZnSM2 was determined by FT-IR studies. Owing to effective charge separation, 1D structure, suitable band gap energies and higher surface area (252 m 2 g −1 ), ZnSM1 exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity towards crystal violet degradation (CV, 93%) under UV light which was about two folds higher than standard ZnS. Under sunlight, uncapped ZnS nanoparticles (ZnSUC and std. ZnS) showed minor activity in comparison to capped ZnSM1 (88%) and ZnSM2 (77%). Moreover, 83% degradation of 2-nitrophenol (NP) was obtained using ZnSM1 without using any other reducing agent under solar irradiations. Thus, present work provides more insights to understand the outstanding activity of ZnS nanomaterials towards organic pollutants beyond UV region without metal deposition.

Synthesis and luminescence properties of chemically synthesized ZnS nanomaterials

Pure and Cu-doped ZnS nanomaterials were successfully synthesized at room temperature by the chemical co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern shows that the synthesized nanomaterials have a cubic blended structure, and the size of crystallites is around 2–3 nm. These results were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which matched well with the XRD results. Scanning electron microscopy and TEM micrographs of ZnS nanomaterials were in spherical shaped nature. The chemical composition is found in pure and doped ZnS nanomaterials using EDAX spectra. UV-Vis spectra show the absorption peak between 310 and 320 nm. Photoluminescence studies reveal sharp emission peaks at 439, 450 and 466 nm with decreasing intensity for pure and doped nanomaterials.

Different Crystal Forms of ZnS Nanomaterials for the Adsorption of Elemental Mercury.

ZnS is a promising sorbent in recovering Hg0 from industrial flue gas due to its excellent Hg0 adsorption capacity. However, the internal structure-activity relationship still needs to be further clarified. In this work, ZnS sorbents with different structures were synthesized with the hydrothermal method by tuning the temperature. The samples had significant differences in the crystallinity, morphology, particle size, and sulfur (S) active sites. The results indicated that Hg0 removal performance was determined by the specific surface area and S active sites. ZnS synthesized at low temperatures (80-ZnS and 120-ZnS) had a larger surface area, while the S sites on the high-temperature-synthesized sample (160-ZnS) were more active for Hg0 adsorption. The 160-ZnS sample exhibited a much higher Hg0 adsorption amount per unit surface area. Further characterization revealed that S22- and Sx were the main active sites for Hg0 adsorption. Sx existed in the form of long-chain polysulfur (L-Sx) on 80-ZnS and 120-ZnS, while it exhibited in the form of short-chain polysulfur (S-Sx) on 160-ZnS. L-Sx had negligible adsorption ability, while S-Sx had a high affinity for Hg0. Hg0 can react with S22- and S-Sx, forming α-HgS and β-HgS, respectively. The new insight in this work can provide theoretical guidance for the design and structure optimization of ZnS, facilitating its practical industrial application.

Handy Soft Jet Plasma as an Effective Technique for Tailored Preparation of ZnS Nanomaterials and Shape Dependent Antibacterial Performance of ZnS

In this study, zinc sulphide nanomaterial (ZnS NM) powders were prepared with the assistance of an atmospheric pressure soft jet plasma (APPJ) device. Regular approaches to ZnS preparation mainly resulted in aggregated powders, thus plasma methods were investigated to obtain controlled morphological structures. The APPJ plasma-assisted ZnS exhibited unique surface architectures, such as nanorods, layers and spherical aggregates, that were controllably obtained by changing the reactant concentration and type of precursor. The prepared ZnS showed good thermal stability by no changes in its composition up to 400°C. The APPJ plasma-assisted ZnS showed sphalerite and wurtzite crystal structures and resulted in excellent chemical purity. The simple and handy APPJ plasma method shows good potential for shape-controlled ZnS NMs preparation without addition of surfactant chemicals, mechanical stirring, external heating or any other tedious procedures. This capability showcases the scientific and technological merit of this technique. The prepared ZnS NMs were utilized as antibacterial agents and evaluated the activity using three techniques against the human pathogens of E. coli, S. aureus and K. pneumoniae. The ZnS NMs showed effective concentration and shape-dependent activity when used as an antibacterial material.

REVIEW: PHOTOLUMINESCENCE PROPERTIES OF UNDOPED AND Eu3+ DOPED ZnS NANOMATERIALS

The PL properties of II-VI group semiconductor nanomaterials have been investigated depend of different synthesis method and other parameters. These group materials have interesting optical properties including PL properties of pure and doped materials. These group materials are mainly doped with rare earth metal for determine of improvement in the luminescence intensity. In this work we are analyzed PL properties of pure ZnS and Eu doped ZnS nanomaterials.

Effect of Zn/S non-stoichiometric ratio on the structural, optical and electronic properties of nano-ZnS

Non-stoichiometric ZnS nanomaterials were prepared using a thermolysis procedure by decreasing the stoichiometric amount of thiourea relative to the amount of zinc acetate as starting precursors: Zn(Ac)/(1−x) thiourea (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5). The high-resolution transmission electron microscope revealed the nanonature of the obtained samples. The X-ray diffraction analysis applying Rietveld method was carried out to explore the influence of Zn/S non-stoichiometry on the structural and microstructural properties of the crystalline phases in the samples. ZnO phase appeared for x ≥ 0.2 forming ZnS1–x/ZnO heterostructures; its percentage increased with increasing non-stoichiometric parameter (x). Incorporation of oxygen ions into the ZnS lattice compensating the sulfur deficiency was manifested by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The UV–Vis analysis revealed the decrease in the bandgap of ZnS from 3.42 eV for x = 0.0 to 2.71 eV for x = 0.5, making these materials suitable for new applications. The influence of non-stoichiometric parameter (x) on the photoluminescence emissions of formed samples was examined; results indicated the spectrum shift towards higher wavelengths. Density function calculations were performed in order to compare the electronic and optical properties of sulfur-deficient ZnS0.9 (single phase) with the ZnS sample.

Excitonic enhancement of colour emission and Förster resonance energy transfer in chemically synthesized Mn-doped ZnS nanomaterials.

This study has been carried out to understand the mechanism of charge carrier dynamics and the existence of exciton-dopant energy transfer within Mn-doped ZnS nanomaterials. Improvement in the energy transfer efficiency and electroluminescence properties of these nanomaterials has been investigated for using them as an emissive layer of LEDs. A chemical co-precipitation method has been used to synthesize ZnS with varying Mn contents to achieve enhanced luminescence properties demonstrating the effect of Mn doping on excitonic luminescence intensity. X-ray powder diffraction analysis reveals the prepared materials to be cubic crystallites with size varying between 2 nm and 4 nm. Agglomerated clusters and a nanogranular morphology have been observed in SEM analysis. The UV-Vis spectra reveal that the band gaps slightly decrease with an increase in the Mn content in ZnS samples. The photoluminescence spectra show that upon Mn incorporation, the intensity of blue emission at 420 nm increases due to the surface states in ZnS; an orange emission at 588 nm is also observed due to a transition within Mn2+. The energy transfer efficiency of 3 to 6% was measured theoretically by using the FRET (Förster resonance energy transfer) model. Mn-doped ZnS shows high photoluminescence quantum yield (QY) in comparison with ZnS, where 0.04 mol% Mn-doped ZnS achieved the highest QY of about 28.94%. The CIE chromaticity coordinates accordingly shift toward white from the blue region upon Mn substitution. A kinetic model has been used to determine the energy transfer efficiency, which affects the luminescence properties of ZnS. The FRET model has suitably unraveled the Förster radius and interatomic distance, which make the energy transfer possible in these materials. We have found 0.04 mol% Mn-doped ZnS with an enhanced energy transfer efficiency. The maximum external quantum efficiency of about 0.643% can be achieved at 2.9 volts of operating voltage for this nanomaterial. These highly luminescent materials possess the characteristics of an emissive layer to be used for light-emitting applications.

Understanding the role of zinc dithiocarbamate complexes as single source precursors to ZnS nanomaterials.

Zinc sulfide is an important wide-band gap semi-conductor and dithiocarbamate complexes [Zn(S2CNR2)2] find widespread use as single-source precursors for the controlled synthesis of ZnS nanoparticulate modifications. Decomposition of [Zn(S2CNiBu2)2] in oleylamine gives high aspect ratio wurtzite nanowires, the average length of which was increased upon addition of thiuram disulfide to the decomposition mixture. To provide further insight into the decomposition process, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) of [Zn(S2CNMe2)2] was performed in the solid-state, in non-coordinating xylene and in oleylamine. In the solid-state, dimeric [Zn(S2CNMe2)2]2 was characterised in accord with the single crystal X-ray structure, while in xylene this breaks down into tetrahedral monomers. In situ XAS in oleylamine (RNH2) shows that the coordination sphere is further modified, amine binding to give five-coordinate [Zn(S2CNMe2)2(RNH2)]. This species is stable to ca. 70 °C, above which amine dissociates and at ca. 90 °C decomposition occurs to generate ZnS. The relatively low temperature onset of nanoparticle formation is associated with amine-exchange leading to the in situ formation of [Zn(S2CNMe2)(S2CNHR)] which has a low temperature decomposition pathway. Combining these observations with the previous work of others allows us to propose a detailed mechanistic scheme for the overall process.

Preparation and Photocatalytic Properties of CdS and ZnS Nanomaterials Derived from Metal Xanthate.

In this paper, we report a new, simple method for the synthesis of CdS and ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) prepared in a basic aqueous medium using metal xanthate as the sulfur source. The structure, morphology, size distribution, optical band gap, and photocatalytic properties of the newly obtained nanomaterials were investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that both CdS and ZnS crystallized in cubic phase and formed NPs with average sizes of 7.0 and 4.2 nm for CdS and ZnS, respectively. A blue shift of UV-Vis absorbance band and higher energy band gap values were observed for both materials in comparison with their bulk counterparts, which is in accordance with the quantum confinement effect. The as-prepared nanomaterials were tested in visible-light driven photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue (MB). After irradiation for 180 min, the degradation rate of MB with a concentration of 8 × 10−6 mol/L mixed with a photocatalyst (CdS or ZnS, both 10 mg in 100 mL solution of MB) was found to be 72% and 61%, respectively. The CdS NPs showed better photocatalytic activity than ZnS, which could be explained by their lower energy band gap and thus the ability to absorb light more efficiently when activated by visible-light irradiation.

Facile fabrication of N-doped ZnS nanomaterials for efficient photocatalytic performance of organic pollutant removal and H2 production

Novel N-doped ZnS microspheres were successfully synthesized by a facile one-step method. The as-prepared N-doped ZnS catalysts exhibited outstanding photocatalytic activities toward the removal of organic pollutants under natural sunlight and H2 generation by water splitting. As expected, the rationally designed N-doped ZnS catalysts displayed significantly enhanced photocatalytic H2 production performances, particularly N-ZS3, with the highest H2 evolution rate of 243.61 μmol g−1 h−1. In addition, in the presence of N-ZS3, ca. 99% metronidazole removal was achieved within 150 min under natural sunlight irradiation. Furthermore, the prepared catalysts exhibited high photocatalytic performance towards the removal of various other organic pollutants, including methyl orange, methylene blue, rhodamine B, ciprofloxacin, and sulfanilamide. The high photocatalytic performances of the prepared catalysts were attributed to N doping, which increased the visible light absorption capacity and electron transfer efficiency of ZnS. Finally, reaction mechanisms for photocatalytic oxidation and H2 generation were proposed. It is anticipated that the design and fabrication of the N-doped ZnS photocatalyst will provide beneficial insights for organic pollutant removal and H2 production applications.