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.