Heterostructured SnS2/SnO2 nanotubes with enhanced charge separation and excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production

SnO2, a promising candidate for photocatalytic water splitting, displays poor activity due to insufficient light utilization and rapid electron-hole recombination of charge carriers. Herein, one-dimensional heterostructures of SnO2/SnS2 nanotubes was designed and synthesized through a facile electrospinning followed by vulcanized method. The unique heterostructured SnO2/SnS2 could simultaneously promote photocarrier transport and suppress charge recombination through the uniquely coupled SnO2/SnS2 heterogeneous interface. Additionally, the optimized type-II heterostructure could also improve light absorption and weak the barrier of photocharge transfer. As a result, the SnO2/SnS2 exhibited excellent photocatalytic H2 evolution performance under simulated light irradiation with high H2 production rate of 50 μmol h−1 without the use of any noble metal co-catalyst, which is 4.2 times higher than that of pure SnO2 under the same condition.