Bismuth sulphide-modified molybdenum disulphide as an efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen production under simulated solar light

To overcome rapid electron-hole recombination and the need for employing noble metals as co-catalysts for photocatalytic water splitting, the present work reports on the fabrication of bismuth sulphide (Bi2S3)-modified molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) as an efficient hybrid photocatalyst. Under simulated solar light irradiation, the Bi2S3/MoS2 photocatalyst with an optimum molar ratio of Mo to Bi of 50% (mol/mol) achieved a H2 production rate of 61.4μmol/h. The photocatalytic enhancement was attributed to an effective charge transfer mechanism between Bi2S3 and MoS2, as evidenced by photoelectrochemical characterization. A plausible reaction mechanism over the as-prepared Bi2S3/MoS2 photocatalyst was also proposed based on the experimental results obtained.