Au and CdS nanoparticles were firstly deposited on the surface of g-CNS by two-step self-assembly process to afford sandwich-structured Z-scheme g-CNS/Au/CdS photocatalyst. The photocatalytic reduction of water to hydrogen was highly improved in lactic acid scavenger solution using the as-prepared gCNS/Au/CdS than using g-CNS/CdS in the presence of visible light, and the photocatalytic degradation of RhB dye was also improved. According to the photoluminescence spectra and excited state electron radioactive decay lifetime, when Au was paired between g-CNS and CdS, based on the Z-scheme chargecarrier transfer mechanism, the redox ability of the photogenerated holes and electrons was enhanced, followed by the increased lifetime of the photoelectrons. Therefore, the photocatalytic ability of the g-CNS/Au/CdS composite was significantly improved. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.