Boosting photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over CdS/MoS₂ on the graphene/montmorillonite composites

CdS/MoS₂ heteronanostructure has been considered to be one of the most promising material systems for photocatalytic H₂ evolution. However, its photocatalytic performance is severely restricted by the agglomeration of nanostructure and inferior electron transport. Herein, reduced graphene oxide coated montmorillonite (rGO/Mt) was constructed as a hydrophilic conductive catalyst carrier via reducing graphene oxide on montmorillonite. The heterostructures of CdS and MoS₂ were assembled on rGO/Mt by hydrothermal process. The photocatalytic H₂ evolution property of composites was examined under visible light, and the composites exhibit an efficient H₂ evolution rate (1760 μmol h⁻¹ with 100 mg of catalysts) owing to the synergistic effect of the carrier material. Hydrophilic montmorillonite inhibits agglomeration of nanostructures and enhances their dispersibility in the water, and meanwhile, conductive graphene facilitates electronic transmission. The design of a multicomponent carrier provides a novel path to enhance photocatalytic activity.