MoO2/MoP-Decorated CdIn2S4 Octahedral Nanostructures for Photocatalytic H2 Evolution and Pollutant Degradation

Inspired by natural photosynthesis, photocatalysis is considered a powerful means to address environmental pollution and the energy crisis. In this work, CdIn2S4 (CIS) nanosized octahedrons modified with sheet-like porous MoO2/MoP (MOP) as a non-noble metal cocatalyst were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. In order to obtain the optimal MOP cocatalysts, the photocatalytic performance of the MOP/CIS composites was evaluated by H2 production and pollutant degradation under visible light irradiation. Among them, 7% MOP/CIS showed the best photocatalytic activity in H2 production (5.96 mmol·g–1·h–1), much higher than that of pure MOP and CIS. Additionally, it demonstrated excellent performance in the degradation of tetracycline (TC) and methyl orange (MO), with rate constants as high as 0.04911 min–1 and 0.03504 min–1, respectively. The superior photocatalytic performance of the MOP/CIS heterostructure was mostly attributed to the morphology design, broad visible light absorption, and effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers. This work provides a promising nanostructure design of visible-light-driven metal sulfide heterostructure for photocatalytic H2 production and pollutant degradation.