Hetero-integration of cadmium sulfide nanorod arrays on graphite substrates to guide electron pathways for effective photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical activities

Abstract

One-dimensional (1D) cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanostructures in photosynthetic systems have attracted attention because of their effective transport pathways for charge extraction which are essential for efficient photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical systems. Despite the numerous benefits of aligned 1D CdS nanostructures in photosynthetic systems, limited attention has been paid to hetero-integrating 1D CdS arrays on substrates with rapid charge extraction capabilities and practical applicability. Herein, we report the fabrication of vertically aligned CdS nanorod arrays on graphite substrates, in which electron transport pathways are rationally designed for effective photocatalysts and photoanodes. Specifically, CdS nanorod arrays integrated on graphite substrates exhibited photocatalytic reactions with excellent reusability and photostability owing to their superior bifacial properties compared to the control free-standing nanostructures. The proposed system also demonstrated excellent photoelectrochemical performance relative to control CdS nanorod arrays integrated on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates because of the enhanced separation and extraction of photogenerated electrons combined with curvilinear surfaces.