L-Cysteine-Assisted Growth of Core-Satellite ZnS-Au Nanoassemblies with High Photocatalytic Efficiency

Core-satellite ZnS-Au nanoassemblies, in which each of the ZnS nanospheres was surrounded by a few Au nanoparticles, have been successfully prepared with a facile L-cysteine-assisted hydrothermal approach. The density of Au nanoparticles encircling each ZnS nanosphere can he readily controlled through suitably modulating the concentration of Au added. Because or the difference in hand structures between ZnS and Au, a pronounced photoinduced charge separation was observed for the as-synthesized ZnS-Au nanoassemblies. As compared to the relevant commercial products like Au-loaded P-25 TiO2 and ZnS powders, ZnS-Au nanoassemblies exhibited superior photocatalytic performance, demonstrating their potential as an efficient photocatalyst in relevant redox reactions. Furthermore, the recycling test revealed that core satellite nanoassemblies of ZnS-Au could be promisingly utilized in the long-term course of photocatalysis. The present study provides new paradigm for designing the highly efficient semiconductor/metal hybrid photocatalysts that can effectively produce chemical energy from light.