Three-Dimensional Core–Shell Nanorod Arrays for Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalytic H₂ Production

Constructing heterostructured nanomaterials with integrating different functional materials into well-oriented nanoarchitectures is an efficacious tactic to obtain high-performance photocatalysts. In this paper, we fabricated three-dimensional ZnO–WS2@CdS core–shell nanorod arrays as visible-light-driven photocatalysts for efficient photocatalytic H2 production. This unique core–shell heterostructure extends visible-light absorption and provides more active sites. More importantly, the ZnO–WS2@CdS nanorod arrays build a beneficial energy level configuration and spatial structure to accelerate the generation, separation, and transfer of the photogenerated electron–hole. On the basis of the synergistic effects, the photocatalytic H2 rate of optimized ZnO–WS2@CdS nanorod arrays achieves 15.12 mmol h–1 g–1 in visible light irradiation, which is 39, 9, and 8 times higher than pure CdS, ZnO–CdS, and CdS–WS2 photocatalysts. The apparent quantum yield is up to 14.92% at 420 nm. Moreover, the core–shell heterostructure photocatalyst can recycle and maintain stability.