For future energy perspectives, an effective way to produce H2from water splitting is suggested using Zn3V2O8photocatalyst as a semiconductor support. Further, to enhance the catalytic efficiency and stability of the catalyst, gold metal was deposited over the Zn3V2O8surface by a chemical reduction method. For comparison, the Zn3V2O8and gold-fabricated catalysts (i.e., Au@Zn3V2O8) were used for water splitting reactions. For structural and optical properties, various techniques, including XRD, UV-Vis DRS, FTIR, PL, Raman, SEM, EDX, XPS and EIS were used for the characterizations. The scanning electron microscope revealed the pebble-shaped morphology of the Zn3V2O8catalyst. The FTIR and EDX results confirmed the purity and structural and elemental composition of the catalysts. Overall, 7.05 mmol g−1h−1H2generation was observed over Au1.0@Zn3V2O8, which was ten times higher than bare Zn3V2O8. The results revealed that the higher H2activities could be attributed to the Schottky barriers and surface plasmon electrons (SPRs). Thus the Au@Zn3V2O8catalysts have potential to deliver higher hydrogen generation than Zn3V2O8by water splitting.