Abstract:
A facile, one-pot, solvothermal synthesis of MoS2 microflowers (S1) and the heterostructures MoS2/g-C3N4 with varying ratios of 1:1 (S2), 1:2 (S3) and 1:3 (S4) exhibiting
enhanced visible-light-assisted H2 generation by water splitting has been reported. The
compounds were thoroughly characterized by PXRD, FESEM, HRTEM, EDS, UVevis and XPS
techniques. FESEM and HRTEM analyses showed the presence of microflowers composed
of nano-sized petals in case of pure MoS2 (S1), while the MoS2 microflowers covered with gC3N4 nanosheets in case of MoS2/g-C3N4 heterostructure, S4. XPS analysis of S2 showed the
presence of 2H phase of MoS2 with g-C3N4. The Eosin-Y/dye-sensitized visible-lightassisted photocatalytic investigation of the samples in the absence of any noble metal cocatalyst revealed very good water splitting activity of MoS2/g-C3N4 heterostructure, S2 with
hydrogen generation rate of 1787 mmol h1
g1 which is about 6 and 40 times higher than
pure MoS2 and g-C3N4 respectively. The relatively higher catalytic activity of the heterostructure, S2 has been ascribed to the efficient spatial separation of photo-induced charge
carriers owing to the synergistic interaction between MoS2 and g-C3N4. A possible mechanism for the Eosin-Y-sensitized photocatalytic H2 generation activity of MoS2/g-C3N4
heterostructures has also been presented. The enhanced activity of S2 was further
