LAUSR

Abstract High-efficient noble-metal-free photocatalyst is vital to realize high H2 evolution. In consideration of this, we design a CdS@NiS reinforced concrete structure derived from nickel foam (NF) via a simple one-pot oil bath strategy. The whole preparation process is started with the growth of NiS rods on NF. Subsequently, NiS rods are encased in CdS gradually under oil both conditions. After the combination of NiS rods and CdS, the photoelectrical properties of primeval CdS are greatly optimized, e.g., photoelectric responsiveness, impedance and light absorption capacity. Moreover, the H2 evolution rate of CdS@NiS is increased significantly from 2706 to 40601 μmol g−1 h−1 under visible-light irradiation (λ > 420 nm), which is about 15 times higher than that of pure CdS, thereby confirming the excellent synergistic effect between NiS rods and CdS. Additionally, the photocatalytic performance of CdS@NiS was stronger than that of CdS/NiS-NPs (6726 μmol g−1 h−1) and CdS-NPs/NiS (1639 μmol g−1 h−1), highlighting the advantages of CdS (prepared using oil bath treatment) and NiS rods (originated from NF growth). Lastly, according to experiment data and DFT calculation results, a viable mechanism for CdS@NiS is tentatively proposed.