Self-assembly of a mesoporous ZnS/mediating interface/CdS heterostructure with enhanced visible-light hydrogen-production activity and excellent stability† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5sc01586c Click here for additional data file.

We designed and successfully fabricated a ZnS/CdS 3D mesoporous heterostructure with a mediating Zn1 xCdxS interface that serves as a charge carrier transport channel for the first time. The H2production rate and the stability of the heterostructure involving two sulfides were dramatically and simultaneously improved by the careful modification of the interface state via a simple post-annealing method. The sample prepared with the optimal parameters exhibited an excellent H2-production rate of 106.5 mmol h 1 g 1 under visible light, which was 152 and 966 times higher than CdS prepared using ethylenediamine and deionized water as the solvent, respectively. This excellent H2-production rate corresponded to the highest value among the CdS-based photocatalysts. Moreover, this heterostructure showed excellent photocatalytic stability over 60 h.