Biomolecule-Assisted Synthesis of Nanocrystalline CdS and Bi2S3 for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Novel CdS and Bi2S3 hollow nanospheres were prepared by simple “one-pot” biomolecule-assisted hydrothermal method using glutathione (GSH) as sulfur source and structure-directing reagents. The single-phase CdS and Bi2S3 photocatalysts were capable of evolving H2 from aqueous solutions containing a sacrificial electron donor, under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm) with Pt co-catalyst. A possible formation mechanism of complexation, S-C bond rupture, and spherical aggregate followed isotropic Ostwal ripening or anisotropic Ostwal ripening was proposed in this study.