Raspberry Plant-like CNT@MoS2/Cd0.5Zn0.5S ternary photocatalytic systems for High-efficient hydrogen evolution

[Display omitted] •Raspberry plant-like CNT@MoS2/Cd0.5Zn0.5S ternary systems are synthesized.•CNT and MoS2 can form conductive vine-like matrix and work synergistically.•CNT@MoS2 matrix can help separation, transfer and reaction of photoelectrons.•CNT@MoS2/Cd0.5Zn0.5S shows ultrahigh photocatalytic H2 evolution performance. Charge separation and transfer are essential for efficient photocatalytic reactions, in which the charge carrier dynamics could be optimized by the rational design of composition and nanomorphology. Inspired in nature that vine can effectively harvest sunlight and present indomitable vitality, a novel raspberry plant-like ternary heterostructure has been constructed for the first time. Its novel structure originates from anchoring raspberry-like porous Cd0.5Zn0.5S nanosphere on a highly conductive matrix composited of MoS2 nanosheets and multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT). The ternary CNT@MoS2/Cd0.5Zn0.5S (C@M/CZS) system of mutual benefits is constructed of 1D CNT as ‘stems’, 2D MoS2 nanosheets as ‘leaves’ and Cd0.5Zn0.5S nanospheres as ‘fruits’. The constructed raspberry plant-like C@M/CZS heterostructure exhibits a high-efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 46.23 mmol·g−1·h−1, which is 51.9 times that of the original Cd0.5Zn0.5S. It is found that the vine-like CNT@MoS2 matrix and interactive ternary heterostructure are favorable for effective visible-light absorption and charge carriers’ separation-transfer-reaction, and thus improving the photostability and photocatalytic performance of the biomimetic photocatalytic system.