LAUSR

Abstract As we know, noble metal (Pt, Pd and Au) with appropriate adsorption free energy of H atoms and higher work function as cocatalyst has been considered to be an effective tactic to enhance photocatalytic activity. However, they are limited severely by scarcity and high-cost. Herein, Zn0.5Cd0.5S solid-solution photocatalyst decorated with noble metal-free NiCo cocatalyst has been successfully obtained through one-step photochemical route. It is found that the lifespan of charge carriers of Zn0.5Cd0.5S@NiCo can be prolonged dramatically after modification, and the photocatalytic H2 rate reach to 34.7  mmol g−1·h−1 is nearly 9 times higher than the bare Zn0.5Cd0.5S (λ ≥ 420 nm). The superior photocatalytic activity for ZCS@NiCo could be mainly ascribed to higher separation and transfer efficiency of photogenerated carriers by introduced bimetallic NiCo cocatalysts possessing the superior electron transfer property and reducing the onset over-potential of water reduction, which was proved by experiment. This study can provide a potential strategy to design a more efficient noble metal-free cocatalyst over photocatalyst.