One-dimensional CdS nanorods with polydopamine shell for stable and efficient photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide generation

CdS@PDA was prepared by combining 1D CdS nanorods with PDA coating. • CdS@PDA displays exceptional H 2 O 2 production rates of 8564.24 and 7320.3 μmol g −1 h −1 under O 2 and air, respectively. • The synergistic interface accelerates charge separation and improve stability. • PDA promotes O 2 reduction via a two-electron pathway involving ·O 2 - radicals. Photocatalytic synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) from water and oxygen offers a sustainable alternative to the conventional anthraquinone process, but its efficiency is often limited by rapid charge recombination and photocorrosion of CdS photocatalysts. In this work, one-dimensional (1D) CdS nanorods coated with a polydopamine (PDA) shell were developed to improve photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production through synergistic morphological and interfacial engineering. The 1D CdS nanorods provide efficient charge transport pathways, while the PDA coating enhances light harvesting, improves interfacial charge separation, and suppresses photocorrosion. As a result, the optimized CdS@PDA-3 photocatalyst achieves H 2 O 2 production rates of 7320.3 μmol g −1 h −1 under air and 8564.2 μmol g −1 h −1 under O 2 , corresponding to an apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 35.8% at 420 nm, which are significantly higher than those of pristine CdS under identical conditions. Comprehensive structural, photoelectrochemical, and photocatalytic characterizations consistently indicate that PDA modification enhances interfacial charge utilization and catalyst stability. This work demonstrates an effective strategy for improving the activity and durability of CdS-based photocatalysts and provides useful guidance for the rational design of efficient photocatalysts for sustainable H 2 O 2 production. Download: Download high-res image (126KB) Download: Download full-size image Core-shell CdS@PDA heterostructure, composed of a uniform layer of PDA coated on the surface of CdS nanorods, is successfully prepared by in-situ growth method. The photogenerated electrons in the CdS core rapidly transfer longitudinally along the 1D structure and are shuttled to the PDA shell, while the PDA layer simultaneously extracts holes, suppressing recombination and photocorrosion, which leads to remarkable photocatalytic performance along with excellent cycling stability for H 2 O 2 production under visible light.