Aqueous synthesis of core/shell/shell CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots for photocatalytic hydrogen generation

A novel water-soluble core/shell/shell CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dot (QD) is prepared and employed as photocatalysts in the water splitting for hydrogen production. The combination of CdSe with CdS shell and ZnS shell effectively enhances the light harvest ability of the photocatalyst in the visible region, facilitates the separation and transfer of photoinduced electrons and holes and inhibits the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The results of photocatalytic hydrogen production show that the amount of hydrogen produced by CdSe/CdS/ZnS QDs increases significantly within 7 h compared with CdSe QDs and CdSe/CdS QDs. In addition, the excellent recyclability of the photocatalyst makes it more promising for practical application.