CdSe Quantum Dots Doped WS₂ Nanoflowers for Enhanced Solar Hydrogen Production

In this paper, a facile method for synthesizing WS 2 nanoflowers (NFs) and CdSe quantum dots (QDs) using hydrothermal and hot injection methods, are reported, respectively. Additionally, the photocatalytic activity of a CdSe QDs/WS 2 NF nanocomposite is analyzed in a typical three‐electrode electrochemical cell. It is found that the CdSe QDs/WS 2 NF hybrid exhibits a current density of −1.12 mA at 0 V and a Tafel slope of 82 mV dec −1 , which are superior to the values of bare WS 2 NFs (current density of −0.25 mA and Tafel slope of 150 mV dec −1 ). This improvement of photocatalytic performance is attributed to the wide range of light absorption for e − /h + generation provided by the CdSe QDs, as well as the large surface area and numerous active sites for hydrogen production provided by WS 2 NFs. Therefore, the CdSe QDs/WS 2 NF hybrid structure is a promising candidate for highly effective and stable photocatalytic performance under solar light illumination for hydrogen production.