Metallic 1T phase molybdenum disulfide cocatalyst with abundant edge and substrate active sites for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of zinc indium sulfide nanoflowers

The formation of composites by loading co-catalysts on semiconductor photocatalysts to improve hydrogen (H 2 ) evolution performance is a feasible strategy. Metallic 1T phase molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) as cocatalysts were decorated on zinc indium sulfide (ZnIn 2 S 4 ) nanoflowers by a grinding method to construct 1T-MoS 2 @ZnIn 2 S 4 composites. The H 2 production rate of 1T-MoS 2 @ZnIn 2 S 4 composites with optimum 7 wt% 1T-MoS 2 loading achieves 15.6 mmol g −1 h −1 , 5.5 times higher than ZnIn 2 S 4 nanoflowers. The apparent quantum efficiency (AQY) increases from 3.1 % (ZnIn 2 S 4 nanoflowers) to 13.0 % (1T-MoS 2 @ZnIn 2 S 4 composites) under the wavelength light irradiation at λ = 370 nm. The loading of metallic 1T-MoS 2 with abundant edge and substrate active sites on ZnIn 2 S 4 can enhance visible light absorption, promote the transfer of electrons, and inhibit carrier recombination, thereby improving photocatalytic performance. This work offers inspiration for the design of composite photocatalysts with efficient photocatalytic capabilities.