Efficient H2 Production Using Ag2S-Coupled ZnO@ZnS Core–Shell Nanorods Decorated Metal Wire Mesh as an Immobilized Hierarchical Photocatalyst

Ag 2 S-coupled ZnO@ZnS core–shell nanorods heterostructures were grown on stainless steel wire mesh substrates along the c -axis by sulfidation of aligned ZnO nanorod arrays as immobilized hierarchical photocatalysts (Ag 2 S-coupled ZnO@ZnS/metal wire mesh) for photocatalytic H 2 production. The effects of the sulfidation time and AgNO 3 precursor concentration on the morphology, crystalline properties, optical property, photocurrent response, and photocatalytic H 2 production activity of the photocatalysts under UV or visible light irradiation, together with the stability of photocatalytic activity for recycled photocatalysts were investigated. In comparison with ZnO/metal wire mesh under the same conditions, the ZnO@ZnS/metal wire mesh photocatalysts showed excellent photocatalytic H 2 production activity that can be attributed to the formation of Ag 2 S-coupled ZnO–ZnS heterojunctions on conductive metal wire mesh substrate that favors the absorption of light, separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, and contact with the reactant solution. The H 2 production rates for Ag 2 S-coupled ZnO@ZnS/metal wire mesh photocatalysts reached 5870 and 168 μmol g –1 h –1 under UV and visible light irradiation.