CdMoO4/Mn0.5Cd0.5S Surface-Nanodomain-Modified Heterostructure for Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic H2 Evolution: Construction and Mechanism

Surface Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S nanodomains form tight interfaces on CdMoO 4 . • The heterostructure reaches 55.47   mmol   g -1 h -1 under visible light. • Hydrogen evolution is 5.35× and 5.02× that of the single components. • Interfacial charge transfer improves carrier separation and electron use. To overcome the limited visible-light response and rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers in CdMoO 4 , a CdMoO 4 /Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S surface-nanodomain-modified heterostructure was constructed through a solvothermal process and evaluated for visible-light-driven photocatalytic H 2 evolution. Structural characterizations revealed that Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S nanocomponents were uniformly distributed on the CdMoO 4 surface and formed intimate heterointerfaces with CdMoO 4 . Among the prepared composites, CMOCS3 with a CdMoO 4 /Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S mass ratio of 10:1 exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, achieving an H 2 evolution rate of 55.47   mmol   g⁻¹ h⁻¹, which was 5.35 and 5.02 times those of pristine CdMoO 4 and Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic performance is primarily attributed to the synergistic interaction between CdMoO 4 and Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S. The incorporation of Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S extends the visible-light absorption of the composite, while the heterointerface facilitates the migration and utilization of photogenerated charge carriers. In addition, the structural stability of CdMoO 4 combined with the visible-light responsiveness of Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S provides favorable conditions for improving the photocatalytic performance of the composite. CMOCS3 maintained appreciable H 2 evolution activity over four consecutive cycles, although a gradual decrease in activity was observed with increasing cycle number. Post-cycling TEM/HRTEM observations showed that the overall morphology and major local lattice features were largely preserved. This work provides an effective strategy for constructing highly efficient visible-light-responsive composite semiconductor photocatalysts. Download: Download high-res image (131KB) Download: Download full-size image A CdMoO 4 /Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S surface-nanodomain heterostructure enables efficient type-II interfacial charge transfer and enhanced carrier separation, delivering a visible-light H₂ evolution rate of 55.47   mmol   g -1 h -1 , 5.35 and 5.02 times higher than those of pristine CdMoO 4 and Mn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S, respectively.