Size and structure-dependent photocatalytic activity of jingle-bell shaped silica-coated cadmium sulfide nanoparticles for methanol dehydrogenation

Silica-coated cadmium sulfide nanoparticles (SiO2/CdS) having a jingle-bell structure were prepared via size-selective photoetching and were used as photocatalysts for dehydrogenation of methanol. Irradiation of SiO2/CdS suspended in an aqueous solution containing methanol induced the liberation of hydrogen (H2), the amount of which increased linearly with increase in the time of irradiation.