Interfacial Electronic Regulation of V-Doped CdS/NiS2 Heterostructures for Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution represents a promising approach for sustainable solar-to-hydrogen conversion; however, the practical application of CdS photocatalysts is still limited by inefficient charge separation and poor stability. Herein, a V-doped CdS/NiS₂ (VCN) heterostructured photocatalyst was successfully constructed via a facile, in situ hydrothermal strategy for interfacial electronic regulation. The optimized VCN-1 photocatalyst achieves a hydrogen evolution rate of 8704.8 μmol g^–1 h^–1 under visible-light irradiation, which is approximately 133.7 times higher than that of pristine CdS. This enhanced photocatalytic performance is attributed to the synergistic effects of NiS₂ coupling and V doping. The CdS/NiS₂ heterojunction facilitates interfacial electron transfer, while V doping modulates the electronic structure and promotes charge migration. In addition, the VCN-1 photocatalyst maintains stable hydrogen evolution performance during repeated photocatalytic cycles. This work provides an effective strategy for regulating heterointerfaces and electronic structures toward the development of efficient CdS-based photocatalysts for solar energy conversion.