Effective interface contact on the hierarchical 1D/2D CoO/NiCo-LDH heterojunction for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Highlights: • 1D/2D CoO/NiCo-LDH heterojunction is designed. • 1D CoO nanowires benefit the rapid electron transfer. • Suited energy levels of CoO and NiCo-LDH facilitate effective exciton separation. • A remarkable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance is achieved. The limited photoabsorption and undesirable recombination of photocarriers seriously impede the performance of photocatalysts to convert inexhaustible solar energy into hydrogen energy. Herein, we design a novel one dimensional/two dimensional (1D/2D) core–shell cobalt monoxide/nickel cobalt layered double hydroxide (CoO/NiCo-LDH) heterojunction with the effective interface contact by the bridge linkage of Co atoms. The rapid electron transport of 1D CoO nanowires and the suited energy levels of CoO and NiCo-LDH synergistic facilitate the separation and transfer of photocarriers at the interface of CoO/NiCo-LDH. In addition, this rational design enhances visible-light absorption and possesses a large surface area. Benefiting from the compositional and structural virtues, the CoO/NiCo-LDH heterojunction achieves an outstanding photocatalytic H₂ production efficiency up to 1.5 mmol g⁻¹h⁻¹ and even maintains 96% of initial efficiency after the 480 min reaction.