title: Cube-in-cube hollow Cu9 S5 nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic activities in solar H2 evolution.
abstract: Hydrogen produced from water under solar energy is an ideal clean energy source, and the efficiency of hydrogen production usually depends on the catalytic systems based on new compounds and/or a unique nanostructure. Herein, well-defined cube-in-cube hollow Cu9 S5 nanostructures have been successfully prepared with Cu2 O nanocubes and CS2 as precursors, and single-shell hollow Cu9 S5 nanocubes could be obtained by replacing CS2 with Na2 S. The formation mechanism of cube-in-cube hollow nanostructures has been proposed based on the Kirkendell effect and an outward self-assembly process. Further studies revealed that the cube-in-cube hollow Cu9 S5 nanostructures exhibited better photocatalytic activity toward solar H2 evolution and would be a promising photocatalyst in the solar hydrogen industry.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (P.R. China), Fax: (+86) 21-54741297.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tiannan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Lun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Jiantao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zai
authors.forename: Xuefeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qian
keywords: core-shell structures; hydrogen evolution; nanostructures; photochemistry; structure elucidation