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Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) has been approved as a distinguished approach to improving the light absorption and carrier migration of photocatalysts. Herein, taking advantage of the LSPR effect of WS2 nanosheets, 1T-WS2/2H-WS2/CdS heterostructures have been constructed for hydrogen production through photocatalytic water splitting. Such heterostructures have strong light absorption ability and excellent photocorrosion resistance. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations demonstrate that the LSPR effect of WS2 nanosheets can improve the photocatalytic performance of 1T-WS2/2H-WS2/CdS heterostructures through photothermal assistance as well as generated hot electrons, and the maximum hydrogen evolution rate of the heterostructures can be further raised to 4.67 mmol g−1 h−1. Significantly, the performance can remain stable in 20 h reaction cycles. This work provides new insight into the design of plasmonic photocatalysts for solar-driven hydrogen evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-driven interfacial water evaporation, a sustainable approach to overcome the global freshwater shortages, requires both robust solar absorber materials and an effective evaporation structure. Herein, tungsten carbide/carbon nanocomposites from a solvent-free synthesis are chosen as the solar absorber materials and uniformly attached on the surface of cotton cloth to construct a water evaporation film. The ultrafine size and good dispersion of tungsten carbide nanoparticles on carbon nanosheets can realize the utilization of the full solar spectrum (200–2500 nm). More importantly, the resultant film exhibits completely different properties on its two sides, where the side with tungsten carbide/carbon nanocomposites is highly hydrophobic and can dispel water vapor and alleviate condensation, while the other side, without any modification, has superhydrophilicity and low thermal-conductivity helpful to re-dissolve salt crystals and prevent heat loss. Thanks to the compatible advantages of tungsten carbide/carbon nanocomposites and cotton cloth, the evaporation rate of the optimal film is 1.58 kg m−2 h−1 under one sun illumination, which can be further raised to 2.53 kg m−2 h−1 if the film is folded into a pyramidal configuration. Significantly, it can retain stable performance through 10 evaporation cycles and is even suitable for considerable evaporation in sewage. We believe this work will provide new insights for the design and fabrication of interfacial water evaporation devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of TiO 2 is deemed to be one of the most promising ways of converting solar energy to chemical energy; however, it is a challenge to improve the photo-generated charge separation efficiency and enhance solar utilization. Herein, black mesoporous rutile/anatase TiO 2 microspheres with a homojunction and surface defects have been successfully synthesized by an evaporation-induced self-assembly, solvothermal and high-temperature surface hydrogenation method. The H500-BMR/ATM (H X -BMR/ATM, where X means the different hydrogen calcination temperatures) materials not only possess a mesoporous structure and relatively high specific surface area of 39.2 m 2 g -1 , but also have a narrow bandgap (∼2.87 eV), which could extend the photoresponse to the visible light region. They exhibit high photocatalytic hydrogen production (6.4 mmol h -1 g -1 ), which is much higher (approximately 1.8 times) than that of pristine mesoporous rutile/anatase TiO 2 microspheres (3.58 mmol h -1 g -1 ). This enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production property is attributed to the synergistic effect of the homojunction and surface defects in improving efficient electron-hole separation and high utilization of solar light. This work proposes a new approach to improve the performance of photocatalytic hydrogen production and probably offers a new insight into fabricating other high-performance photocatalysts., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)