The feasibility of solar hydrogen production from water has long relied on the activity and stability of a given photocatalyst. In this study, using CdxZn1-xS as a model photocatalyst, we demonstrated that the activity and stability of chalcogenide photocatalyst could be readily adjusted by changing the reaction conditions, including sacrificial reagents, reaction temperature. Our results showed that the combined use of proper sacrificial reagents play a key role against photocorrosion. Under optimized reaction conditions, the photo catalyst remained stable for more than 500 h. Under irradiation from a simulated sun light (light intensity: 789.92 W/m(2)), the average rate of hydrogen evolution reached 1.43 mmol/h with an energy conversion efficiency from solar to hydrogen of 6.22%. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.