Preparation of a p-n heterojunction 2D BiOI nanosheet/1DBiPO_4 nanorod composite electrode for enhanced visible light photoelectrocatalysis

In this study, a 2D BiOI nanosheet/1D BiPO4 nanorod/fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) composite electrode with a p-n heterojunction structure was prepared by a two-step electrodeposition method. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and electrochemical testing were used to characterize its composition, crystal morphology, and optical properties. The Bi- OI/BiPO4/FTO composite electrode has higher photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity for the degradation of tetracycline than pure BiPO4 and BiOI. The PEC activity of the composite was 1.98 times and 2.46 times higher than those of the BiOI/FTO and BiPO4/FTO electrodes, respectively. The effects of the working voltage and BiOI deposition time on the degradation of tetracycline were investigated. The optimum BiOI deposition time was found to be 150 s and the optimum working voltage is 1.2 V. Trapping experiments showed that hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide radicals (·O2-) are the major reactive species in the PEC degradation process. The BiOI/BiPO4/FTO composite electrode has good stability, and the tetracycline removal efficiency remains substantially unchanged after four cycles in a static system. The reason for the PEC efficiency enhancement in the BiOI/BiPO4/FTO composite electrode is the increased visible light absorption range and the p-n heterojunction structure, which promotes the separation and migration of the photogenerated electrons and holes.

Photoelectrocatalysis for high‐value‐added chemicals production

Photoelectrocatalysis(PEC)is a promising approach that can convert renewable solar energy into chemical energy,while most concern is concentrated on PEC water splitting to obtain high‐value‐added fuel—hydrogen.In practice,more economic benefits can be produced based on PEC technique,such as H_(2)O oxidative H_(2)O_(2) synthesis,organic selective oxidation,organic pollutants degradation and CO_(2) reduction.Although there are plenty of excellent reviews focusing on the PEC water splitting system,the production of various high‐value‐added chemicals in PEC systems has not been discussed synthetically.This Account will focus on the production process of various high‐value‐added chemicals through PEC technology.The photoelectrode design,reaction environment and working mechanisms of PEC systems are also discussed in detail.We believe that this comprehensive Account of the expanded application of photoelectrocatalysis can add an inestimable impetus to the follow‐up development of this technology.

Solar-driven CO_(2) conversion to methane and methanol using different nanostructured Cu_(2)O-based catalysts modified with Au nanoparticles

This work describes the use of TiO_(2)nanotubes-based electrodes(TNT)modified with Cu_(2)O nanostructures and gold nanoparticles for the photoelectroreduction of CO_(2)to produce value-added compounds.A thin layer of polydopamine was used as both an adherent agent and an electron transfer mediator,due to itsπ-conjugated electron system.The highest production yield was achieved using a TNT@PDA/Nc/Au40%electrode,with Faradaic efficiencies of 47.4%(110.5μM cm^(-2))and 27.8%(50.4μM cm^(-2))for methanol and methane,respectively.The performance of the photoelectrodes was shown to be Cu_(2)O facet-dependent,with cubic structures leading to greater conversion of CO_(2)to methanol(43%)and methane(27%),compared to the octahedral morphology,while a higher percentage of metallic gold on the nanostructured Cu_(2)O surface was mainly important for CH4production.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations supported these findings,attributing the superior photoelectrocatalytic performance of the TNT@PDA/Nc/Au40%electrode for CH4generation to the formation of an OCH3intermediate bonded to Au atoms.Studies using isotope-labeling and analysis by gas chromatograph-mass(GC-MS)demonstrated that13CO_(2)was the source for photoelectrocatalytic generation of13CH3OH and13CH313CH2OH.

Flexible hollow TiO_(2)@CMS/carbon-fiber van der Waals heterostructures for simulated-solar light photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis

The recycling technology of photocatalyst powdery has hardly been mature in the photocatalytic oxidation so far.In this work,the hollow TiO_(2)microspheres with an appropriate thickness are confined in carbon microspheres(CMSs)to form hollow TiO_(2)@CMSs,which are physically integrated with carbon-fiber textile by van der Waals(vdW)interactions to generate separable and recyclable hollow TiO_(2)@CMSs/carbon-fiber vdW heterostructures.Such separable and recyclable heterostructures show remarkable oxidation of 2,4-dinitrophenol.From our detailed characterization and density functional theory(DFT)calculations,we found that carbon fiber can trap electrons exerted from the excitation of hollow TiO_(2)@CMSs and creates holes in hollow TiO_(2)microspheres,which endow the carbon fiber with photocatalytic activity through coherent charge injection.This study indicates that our general strategy for the fabrication of hollow TiO_(2)@CMSs/carbon-fiber vdW heterostructures can be used as separable and recyclable photocatalyst and photoelectrocatalyst with potential industrial applications in environmentrelated fields.

Photoelectrocatalytic principles for meaningfully studying photocatalyst properties and photocatalysis processes:From fundamental theory to environmental applications

Photocatalysis is critically important for environmental remediation and renewable energy technologies.The ability to objectively characterize photocatalyst properties and photocatalysis processes is paramount for meaningful performance evaluation and fundamental studies to guide the design and development of high-performance photocatalysts and photocatalysis systems.Photocatalysis is essentially an electron transfer process,and photoelectrocatalysis(PEC)principles can be used to directly quantify transferred electrons to determine the intrinsic properties of photocatalysts and photocatalysis processes in isolation,without interference from counter reactions due to physically separated oxidation and reduction half-reactions.In this review,we discuss emphatically the PEC-based principles for characterizing intrinsic properties of photocatalysts and important processes of photocatalysis,with a particular focus on their environmental applications in the degradation of pollutants,disinfection,and detection of chemical oxygen demand(COD).An outlook towards the potential applications of PEC technique is given.

A review on photo-, electro- and photoelectro- catalytic strategies for selective oxidation of alcohols

Traditional conversion of alcohols into carbonyl compounds exists a few drawbacks such as harsh reaction conditions,production of large amounts of hazardous wastes,and poor selectivity.The newly emerging conversion approaches via photo-,electro-,and photoelectro-catalysis to oxidize alcohols into high value-added corresponding carbonyl compounds as well as the possible simultaneous production of clean fuel hydrogen(H_(2))under mild conditions are promising to substitute the traditional approach to form greener and sustainable reaction systems and thus have aroused tremendous investigations.In this review,the state-of-the-art photocatalytic,electrocatalytic,and photoelectrocatalytic strategies for selective oxidation of different types of alcohols(aromatic and aliphatic alcohols,single alcohol,and polyols,etc.)as well as the simultaneous production of H_(2) in certain systems are discussed.The design of photocatalysts,electrocatalysts,and photoelectrocatalysts as well as reaction mechanism is summarized and discussed in detail.In the end,current challenges and future research directions are proposed.It is expected that this review will not only deepen the understanding of environmentally friendly catalytic systems for alcohol conversion as well as H_(2) production,but also enlighten significance and inspirations for the follow-up study of selective oxidation of various types of organic molecules to value-added chemicals.

Molecular insight into the GaP(110)-water interface using machine learning accelerated molecular dynamics

GaP has been shown to be a promising photoelectrocatalyst for selective CO_(2)reduction to methanol.Due to the relevance of the interface structure to important processes such as electron/proton transfer,a detailed understanding of the GaP(110)-water interfacial structure is of great importance.Ab initio molecular dynamics(AIMD)can be used for obtaining the microscopic information of the interfacial structure.However,the GaP(110)-water interface cannot converge to an equilibrated structure at the time scale of the AIMD simulation.In this work,we perform the machine learning accelerated molecular dynamics(MLMD)to overcome the difficulty of insufficient sampling by AIMD.With the help of MLMD,we unravel the microscopic information of the structure of the GaP(110)-water interface,and obtain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of proton transfer at the GaP(110)-water interface,which will pave the way for gaining valuable insights into photoelectrocatalytic mechanisms and improving the performance of photoelectrochemical cells.

Preparation of TiO_2/ITO film by liquid phase deposition and its photoelectrocatalytic activity for degradation of 4-aminoantipyrine

A thin layer of TiO2 film was deposited on ITO surface via the liquid phase deposition （LPD） process. The photocurrent and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） measurements indicated that the as-prepared LPD TiO2/ITO film had an excellent photoelectrochemical performance, which showed a sensitive and rapid response to the UV irradiation. The photogenerated electron-hole pairs could be effectively separated by applying an external bias to the TiO2 film electrode. The LPD TiO2/ITO film was employed to study the photoelectrocatalytic （PEC） degradation of 4-aminoantipyrine. Compared with other techniques, the PEC technique based on such a LPD film electrode had a synergetic effect for 4-aminoantipyrine degradation. When the applied bias potential was＋0.8 V and the supporting electrolyte concentration of Na2SO4 was 0.1 mol/L, the highest degradation efficiency within 120 min could reach 95%for 0.1 mmol/L 4-aminoantipyrine solution at pH 2.0.

Piezopotential augmented photo-and photoelectro-catalysis with a built-in electric field

Rapid technological development and population growth are responsible for a series of imminent environmental problems and an ineluctable energy crisis.The application of semiconductor nanomaterials in photocatalysis or photoelectrocatalysis(PEC)for either the degradation of contaminants in the environment or the generation of hydrogen as clean fuel is an effective approach to alleviate these problems.However,the efficiency of such processes remains suboptimal for real applications.Reasonable construction of a built-in electric field is considered to efficiently enhance carrier separation and reduce carrier recombination to improve catalytic performance.In the past decade,as a new method to enhance the built-in electric field,the piezoelectric effect from piezoelectric materials has been extensively studied.In this review,we provide an overview of the properties of piezoelectric materials and the mechanisms of piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity for a built-in electric field.Then,piezoelectric and ferroelectric polarization regulated built-in electric fields that mediate catalysis are discussed.Furthermore,the applications of piezoelectric semiconductor materials are also highlighted,including degradation of pollutants,bacteria disinfection,water splitting for H2 generation,and organic synthesis.We conclude by discussing the challenges in the field and the exciting opportunities to further improve piezo-catalytic efficiency.

Highly Efficient Photoelectrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to Methanol by a p–n Heterojunction CeO2/CuO/Cu Catalyst

Photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to fuels has great potential for reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions and also lessening our dependence on fossil fuel energy.Herein,we report the successful development of a novel photoelectrocatalytic catalyst for the selective reduction of CO2 to methanol,comprising a copper catalyst modified with flower-like cerium oxide nanoparticles(CeO2 NPs)(a n-type semiconductor)and copper oxide nanoparticles(CuO NPs)(a p-type semiconductor).At an applied potential of−1.0 V(vs SCE)under visible light irradiation,the CeO2 NPs/CuO NPs/Cu catalyst yielded methanol at a rate of 3.44μmol cm^−2 h^−1,which was approximately five times higher than that of a CuO NPs/Cu catalyst(0.67μmol cm^−2 h^−1).The carrier concentration increased by^108 times when the flower-like CeO2 NPs were deposited on the CuO NPs/Cu catalyst,due to synergistic transfer of photoexcited electrons from the conduction band of CuO to that of CeO2,which enhanced both photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic CO2 reduction on the CeO2 NPs.The facile migration of photoexcited electrons and holes across the p–n heterojunction that formed between the CeO2 and CuO components was thus critical to excellent light-induced CO2 reduction properties of the CeO2 NPs/CuO NPs/Cu catalyst.Results encourage the wider application of composite semiconductor electrodes in carbon dioxide reduction.

Preparation of BiPO4/graphene photoelectrode and its photoelectrocatalyitic performance

In this work, a two-step electrodeposition method was employed to prepare BiPO4 nanorod/reduced graphene oxide/FTO composite electrodes(BiPO4/r GO/FTO). The BiPO4/r GO/FTO composite electrode showed the higher photoelectrocatalytic(PEC) activity for the removal of methyl orange than pure BiPO4, which was 2.8 times higher than that of BiPO4/FTO electrode. The effects of working voltage and BiPO4 deposition time on the degradation efficiency of methyl orange were investigated. The optimum BiPO4 deposition time was 45 min and the optimum working voltage was 1.2 V. The trapping experiments showed that hydroxyl radicals(·OH) and superoxide radicals(·O2-) were the major reactive species in PEC degradation process. The BiPO4/r GO/FTO composite electrode showed the high stability and its methyl orange removal efficiency remained unchanged after four testing cycles. The reasons for the enhanced PEC efficiency of the BiPO4/r GO/FTO composite electrode was ascribed to the broad visible-light absorption range, the rapid transmission of photogenerated charges, and the mixed BiPO4 phase by the introduction of r GO in the composite electrode films.

The Inhibition Effect of Tert-Butyl Alcohol on the TiO_2 Nano Assays Photoelectrocatalytic Degradation of Different Organics and Its Mechanism

The inhibition effect of tert-butyl alcohol(TBA), identified as the·OH radical inhibitor, on the TiO_2 nano assays(TNA) photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of different organics such as glucose and phthalate was reported. The adsorption performance of these organics on the TNA photoelectrode was investigated by using the instantaneous photocurrent value, and the degradation property was examined by using the exhausted reaction. The results showed that glucose exhibited the poor adsorption and easy degradation performance, phthalate showed the strong adsorption and harddegradation, but TBA showed the weak adsorption and was the most difficult to be degraded. The degradation of both glucose and phthalate could be inhibited evidently by TBA. But the effect on glucose was more obvious. The different inhibition effects of TBA on different organics could be attributed to the differences in the adsorption and the degradation property. For instance, phthalate of the strong adsorption property could avoid from the capture of·OH radicals by TBA in TNA photoelectrocatalytic process.

Photoelectrocatalytic CO2 reduction based on metalloporphyrin-modified TiO2 photocathode

The conversion of CO2 and water to value-added chemicals under sunlight irradiation, especially by photoelectrocatalytic reduction process, is always a dream for human beings. A new artificial photosynthesis system composed of a metalloporphyrin-functionalized TiO2 photocathode and BiVO4 photoanode can efficiently transform CO2 and water to methanol, which is accompanied by oxygen release. This photoelectrocatalytic system smoothly produces methanol at a rate of 55.5 μM h^–1 cm^– 2, with 0.6 V being the membrane voltage in plants. The production of hydrogen can also be observed when the voltage is more than 0.75 V, due to photocatalysis. Our results evidently indicate that the molecules of metalloporphyrin attached onto the surface of anatase (TiO2) behave as chlorophyll, NADP, and Calvin cycle in plant cells.

NiFe layered double-hydroxide nanoparticles for efficiently enhancing performance of BiVO_4 photoanode in photoelectrochemical water splitting

A bismuth vanadate(BiVO4)photoanode with a cocatalyst consisting of NiFe layered double‐hydroxide(NiFe‐LDH)nanoparticles was fabricated for photoelectrochemical(PEC)water splitting.NiFe‐LDH nanoparticles,which can improve light‐absorption capacities and facilitate efficient hole transfer to the surface,were deposited on the surface of the BiVO4 photoanode by a hydrothermal method.All the samples were characterized using X‐ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,and diffuse‐reflectance spectroscopy.Linear sweep voltammetry and current‐time plots were used to investigate the PEC activity.The photocurrent response of NiFe‐LDH/BiVO4 at 1.23 V vs the reversible hydrogen electrode was higher than those of Ni(OH)2/BiVO4,Fe(OH)2/BiVO4 and pure BiVO4 electrodes under visible‐light illumination.NiFe‐LDH/BiVO4 also gave a superior PEC hydrogen evolution performance.Furthermore,the stability of the NiFe‐LDH/BiVO4 photoanode was excellent compared with that of the bare BiVO4 photoanode,and offers a novel method for solar‐assisted water splitting.

Nickel and indium core-shell co-catalysts loaded silicon nanowire arrays for efficient photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO_(2) to formate

Developing an efficient artificial photosynthetic system for transforming carbon dioxide and storing solar energy in the form of chemical bonds is one of the greatest challenges in modern chemistry.However,the limited choice of catalysts with wide light absorption range,long-term stability and excellent selectivity for CO_(2) reduction makes the process sluggish.Here,a core-shell-structured nonnoble-metal Ni@In co-catalyst loaded p-type silicon nanowire arrays(SiNWs)for efficient CO_(2) reduction to formate is demonstrated.The formation rate and Faradaic efficiency of formate over the Ni@In/SiNWs catalyst reach 58μmol h^(-1) cm^(-2) and 87% under the irradiation of one simulated sunlight(AM 1.5 G,100 mW cm^(-2)),respectively,which are about 24 and 12 times those over the pristine SiNWs.The enhanced photoelectrocatalytic performance for CO_(2) reduction is attributed to the rational combination of Ni capable of effectively extracting the photogenerated electrons and In responsible for the selective activation of CO_(2).

Photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production based on transition‐metal‐oxide semiconductors

As a kind of valuable chemicals,hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)has aroused growing attention in many fields.However,H2O2 production via traditional anthraquinone process suffers from challenges of large energy consumption and heavy carbon footprint.Alternatively,photoelectrocatalytic(PEC)production of H2O2 has shown great promises to make H2O2 a renewable fuel to store solar energy.Transition‐metal‐oxide(TMO)semiconductor based photoelectrocatalysts are among the most promising candidates for PEC H2O2 production.In this work,the fundamentals of H2O2 synthesis through PEC process are briefly introduced,followed by the state‐of‐the‐art of TMO semiconductor based photoelectrocatalysts for PEC production H2O2.Then,the progress on H2O2 fuel cells from on‐site PEC production is presented.Furthermore,the challenges and future perspectives of PEC H2O2 production are discussed.This review aims to provide inspiration for the PEC production of H2O2 as a renewable solar fuel.

Plasmonic Ag‑Decorated Few‑Layer MoS2 Nanosheets Vertically Grown on Graphene for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

A controllable approach that combines surface plasmon resonance and twodimensional(2D)graphene/MoS2 heterojunction has not been implemented despite its potential for efficient photoelectrochemical(PEC)water splitting.In this study,plasmonic Ag-decorated 2D MoS2 nanosheets were vertically grown on graphene substrates in a practical large-scale manner through metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of MoS2 and thermal evaporation of Ag.The plasmonic Ag-decorated MoS2 nanosheets on graphene yielded up to 10 times higher photo-to-dark current ratio than MoS2 nanosheets on indium tin oxide.The significantly enhanced PEC activity could be attributed to the synergetic effects of SPR and favorable graphene/2D MoS2 heterojunction.Plasmonic Ag nanoparticles not only increased visible-light and near-infrared absorption of 2D MoS2,but also induced highly amplified local electric field intensity in 2D MoS2.In addition,the vertically aligned 2D MoS2 on graphene acted as a desirable heterostructure for efficient separation and transportation of photo-generated carriers.This study provides a promising path for exploiting the full potential of 2D MoS2 for practical large-scale and efficient PEC water-splitting applications.

Preparation of TiO_2-activated carbon complex membranes and their photoelectrocatalytic activity

The experimental process of preparing TiO 2 activated carbon complex membranes with activated carbon powder as main carrier, PTFE as binder and wire netting as matrix is described in detail, and both photo catalysis and photo electro catalysis are measured to study the properties of complex membranes. Experimental results show that the photo catalytic activity of the membranes is high and stable in the process of treating Rhodamine B; the application of an electric field accelerates the speed of photo catalysis, and the efficiency of photo catalysis is increased 2.5 times when the applied voltage is 0.8 V; and the degradation of Rhodamine B follows the dynamics of first order reaction. It is concluded from the discussion of experimental results that the preparation process of TiO 2 activated carbon complex membranes is a simple low cost process suitable for large scale application.

Photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of methane into methanol and formic acid over ZnO/graphene/polyaniline catalyst

ZnO/graphene/polyaniline(PANI) composite is synthesized and used for photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of methane under simulated sun light illumination with ambient conditions. The photoelectrochemical(PEC) performance of pure ZnO, ZnO/graphene, ZnO/PANI, and ZnO/graphene/PANI photoanodes is investigated by cyclic voltammetry(CV),chronoamerometry(J–t) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS). The yields of methane oxidation products,mainly methanol(CH_3OH) and formic acid(HCOOH), catalysed by the synthesized ZnO/graphene/PANI composite are 2.76 and 3.20 times those of pure ZnO, respectively. The mechanism of the photoelectrocatalytic process converting methane into methanol and formic acid is proposed on the basis of the experimental results. The enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity of the ZnO/graphene/PANI composite can be attributed to the fact that graphene can efficiently transfer photo-generated electrons from the inner region to the surface reaction to form free radicals due to its superior electrical conductivity as an inter-media layer. Meanwhile, the introduction of PANI promotes solar energy harvesting by extending the visible light absorption and enhances charge separation efficiency due to its conducting polymer characteristics.In addition, the PANI can create a favorable π-conjunction structure together with graphene layers, which can achieve a more effective charge separation. This research demonstrates that the fabricated ZnO/graphene/PANI composite promises to implement the visible-light photoelectrocatalytic methane oxidation.

Nanotube array-like WO_3/W photoanode fabricated by electrochemical anodization for photoelectrocatalytic overall water splitting

Photoactive WO3is attractive as a photocatalyst for green energy evolution through water splitting.In the present work,an electrochemical anodic oxidation method was used to fabricate a photo‐responsive nanotube array‐like WO3/W(NA‐WO3/W)photoanode from W foil as a precursor.Compared with a reference commercial WO3/W electrode,the NA‐WO3/W photoanode exhibited enhanced and stable photoelectrocatalytic(PEC)activity for visible‐light‐driven water splitting with a typical H2/O2stoichiometric ratio of2:1and quantum efficiency of approximately5.23%under visible‐light irradiation from a light‐emitting diode(λ=420nm,15mW/cm2).The greatly enhanced PEC performance of the NA‐WO3/Wphotoanode was attributed to its fast electron–hole separation rate,which resulted from the one‐dimensional nanotube array‐like structure,high crystallinity of monoclinic WO3,and strong interaction between WO3and W foil.This work paves the way to a facile route to prepare highly active photoelectrodes for solar light transfer to chemical energy.