OICC Press Journal of Nanostructure in Chemistry 2193-8865 12 2 (April 2022) 2021 07 11 Solar-light responsive efficient H2 evolution using a novel ternary hierarchical SrTiO3/CdS/carbon nanospheres photocatalytic system 10.1007/s40097-021-00411-y EN Saikumar Manchala Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, Telangana, 506004, IN Centre for Advanced Materials, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, Telangana, 506004, IN Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, 110016, IN Department of Chemistry, Mallareddy Engineering College (Autonomous), Secunderabad, 500100, IN Ambedkar Gandamalla Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, Telangana, 506004, IN Centre for Advanced Materials, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, Telangana, 506004, IN Vempuluru Navakoteswara Rao Nano Catalysis and Solar Fuels Research Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, 516005, IN Shankar Muthukonda Venkatakrishnan Nano Catalysis and Solar Fuels Research Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, 516005, IN Vishnu Shanker Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, Telangana, 506004, IN Centre for Advanced Materials, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, Telangana, 506004, IN Journal Article 2021 07 11 Abstract Carbon nanospheres (CNS) have tremendous potential in photocatalysis due to their unique opto-electronic properties that facilitated effective electron transfer and high visible-light harvesting nature. The present work deals with the design and synthesis of novel ternary hierarchical SrTiO 3 /CdS/carbon nanospheres photocatalytic system and evaluated its photocatalytic performance for H 2 production under sunlight illumination. The ternary photocatalytic system formation is explained using surface imaging (FE-SEM and TEM) and surface chemical analysis (XPS). At optimized conditions, the ternary SrTiO 3 /CdS/carbon nanospheres’ photocatalytic system has exhibited excellent H 2 production of 3085 μmol h −1  g cat −1 when compared to single and binary photocatalytic systems. The incorporation of carbon nanospheres takes part as an electron nabber and carrier to improve the electron transfer of the SrTiO 3 /CdS photocatalytic system in the hierarchical ternary photocatalytic system. The high H 2 production of the ternary SrTiO 3 /CdS/carbon nanospheres’ photocatalytic system is demonstrated by photocurrent and lifetime PL studies. Furthermore, a suitable mechanism is also proposed.