LAUSR

g-C3N4 (graphitic carbon nitride) is an interesting photocatalyst that has found application in many fields especially in photocatalysis. It can be synthesized by various methods, and cocatalysts can be incorporated in its structure to construct a composite suitable for the desired application. We report synthesis of thin-layer g-C3N4 nanosheet decoration with MoS2 nanoparticles for the preparation of 2D-2D MoS2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite that was successfully used in evolution of H2 from the reaction of water splitting. Various percentages of MoS2 decorations were produced, and the 1.5% MoS2 composition proved to be the best photocatalyst producing 10,000 μmol h−1 g−1 rates of H2 evolution. The high photocatalytic activity of 2D-2D MoS2/g-C3N4 is attributed to many factors that include high surface area, the 2D-2D interfaces characterized by “surface contact” active sites for absorption of light, the powerful charge separation resulting from the favorable potential values of graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets, and the use of the efficient hole-scavenger glycerol. This study shows that changes in synthesis route and careful selection of glycerol as a scavenging material can result in superior photocatalytic efficiency of the material. Graphical abstract Graphical abstract