A facile preparation of crystalline GeS2 nanoplates and their photocatalytic activity

•GeS2 nanoplates were prepared by a low temperature solvothermal process.•GeS2 nanoplates obtained possess high crystallinity.•Nanostructured GeS2 is first applied in the photocatalytic H2 evolution.

Crystalline GeS2 nanoplates were prepared by low temperature solvothermal process and characterized with X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersion X-ray analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and UV–vis–NIR diffuse reflectance absorption spectroscopy. Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water over the as-prepared GeS2 nanoplates was explored using Na2S and K2SO3 as sacrificial reagents. The results indicate that the crystalline orthorhombic GeS2 nanoplates can be obtained at 140 °C using this simple method and acetic acid as the solvent plays an important role in the formation of the GeS2 nanoplates. More importantly, the as-prepared GeS2 nanoplates can serve as a potential photocatalyst with a rate of H2 evolution of 144 μmol g−1 h−1 for hydrogen production from water when a xenon lamp is used as a light source. In addition, the formation mechanism of GeS2 nanoplates was preliminarily discussed.

Graphical abstractThe crystalline GeS2 nanoplates have been successfully prepared in the low temperature solvothermal process. Meanwhile, the as-prepared crystalline GeS2 nanoplates show considerable photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution from water, implying that GeS2 nanomaterials have great potential in the field of hydrogen generation from light-driven water splitting.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide