Preparation of CuS/BiVO ₄ thin film and its efficacious photoelectrochemical performance in hydrogen generation

To drive photoelectrochemical water splitting on porous BiVO 4 photoanode, we herein prepared a carnation‐like CuS powder by hydrothermal method and then loaded it onto BiVO 4 photoelectrode. Expectedly, the CuS/BiVO 4 composite not only presents a higher photocurrent response value at 1.23 V versus RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode) than pure BiVO 4 electrode under visible light irradiation, but also exhibits an excellent photoelectrochemical hydrogen production activity in comparison with either the BiVO 4 or the CuS. The high ameliorated performance of CuS/BiVO 4 composite may be due to the strong absorption of visible light and an effective abatement in combination of carriers. These results demonstrate an effective potential approach to design and construct efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems.