LAUSR

Abstract To obtain an efficient photocatalyst for solar energy conversion is a key issue in photocatalytic water splitting. Here, we have synthesized MoS 2 -coated ZnO nanocomposite photocatalyst and investigated the structure-performance relationship by UV–vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Under the simulated sunlight irradiation, the MoS 2 -coated ZnO nanocomposite in aqueous Na 2 SO 3 solution achieves a high H 2 production rate of 1410 μmol/g/h, 5.8 times higher than that of pristine ZnO nanoparticles. The UV–vis spectra and PL results reveal that the MoS 2 coated on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles can significantly facilitate the photoexcited electrons transfer and suppress the recombination of the electrons and holes, thus increasing the H 2 evolution activity of the composite system.