Visible spectrum

Work function

Engineering

Computational chemistry

Adsorption

Density functional theory

Composite material

Catalysis

Nanotechnology

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Organic chemistry

Inorganic chemistry

Chemistry

Materials science

Hydrogen production

Hydroxide

Layer (electronics)

Molybdenum disulfide

Water splitting

Chemical engineering

Optoelectronics

Hydrogen

Coal

Photocatalysis

Photochemistry

Heterojunction

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

The requisite interfacial contact of heterojunction photocatalysts has a significant contribution in separation of interfacial charge carriers for photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) evolution in a more efficient manner. Herein, an internal electric field (IEF)-induced S–scheme system comprised of two-dimensional (2D) CoAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) and 2D molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) was constructed via a simple hydrothermal process. In the presence of visible-light irradiation, the 2D/2D MoS2/CoAl LDH hybrid demonstrates eightfold greater photocatalytic H2 generation rate as compared with that of CoAl LDH. The mechanism was investigated in the light of the results of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and work-function calculated by density functional theory (DFT) simulation, and the improved activity was ascribed to that the rapid detachment of the electron-hole (e−-h+) combinations and high redox ability, both are simultaneously realized in MoS2/CoAl LDH hybrid with a 2D/2D S–scheme charge transfer mechanism induced by the IEF across interface of the MoS2 and CoAl LDH. Furthermore, favorable 2D/2D structure and better H* adsorption behavior of MoS2/CoAl LDH also promoted the improvement of water reduction performance. This work is a valuable guideline in developing of IEF-induced S–scheme photocatalysts with 2D/2D architecture for improved photocatalytic performance.

Internal electric field induced S–scheme heterojunction MoS2/CoAl LDH for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution