S-doped ZnO nanorods were grown on stainless steel mesh as immobilized hierarchical photocatalysts for hydrogen production. Properties of the photocatalysts were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoinduced current, and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution test. Effects of polymer additive and doping on the surface texture, surface property, and H-2 production performance of the photocatalysts were studied. Polyethyleneimine helps the growth of nanorods on the entire surface of wire mesh. Photocatalytic H-2 production activity of the photocatalysts changes with dopant content and surface texture modification. Due to increased surface area of the hierarchical photocatalyst, enhanced light trapping and liquid flow among wire-mesh, the highest hydrogen evolution rate of 3640 mu mol g(-1) h(-1) is obtained. The photocatalytic activity of photocatalyst remained at 87% of its original performance after five cycles. Copyright (C) 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.