Efficient and Stable Solar Hydrogen Generation of Hydrophilic Rhenium-Disulfide-Based Photocatalysts Chemically Controlled Charge Transfer Paths.

Effective charge separation and rapid transport of photogenerated charge carriers without self-oxidation in transition metal dichalcogenide photocatalysts are required for highly efficient and stable hydrogen generation. Here, we report that a molecular junction as an electron transfer path toward two-dimensional rhenium disulfide (2D ReS) nanosheets from zero-dimensional titanium dioxide (0D TiO) nanoparticles induces high efficiency and stability of solar hydrogen generation by balanced charge transport of photogenerated charge carriers. The molecular junctions are created through the chemical bonds between the functionalized ReS nanosheets (, -COOH groups) and -OH groups of two-phase TiO (, ReS-CHC(═O)-O-TiO denoted by ReS-BzO-TiO).