Photocatalytic oxidation of water is a promising method to realize large-scale H2O2 production without a hazardous and energy-intensive process. In this study, we introduce a Pt/TiO2(anatase) photocatalyst to construc...Photocatalytic oxidation of water is a promising method to realize large-scale H2O2 production without a hazardous and energy-intensive process. In this study, we introduce a Pt/TiO2(anatase) photocatalyst to construct a simple and environmentally friendly system to achieve simultaneous H2 and H2O2 production. Both H2 and H2O2 are high-value chemicals, and their separation is automatic. Even without the assistance of a sacrificial agent, the system can reach an efficiency of 7410 and 5096 μmol g^-1 h^–1 (first 1 h) for H2 and H2O2, respectively, which is much higher than that of a commercial Pt/TiO2(anatase) system that has a similar morphology. This exceptional activity is attributed to the more favorable two-electron oxidation of water to H2O2, compared with the four-electron oxidation of water to O2.展开更多
Suffering from the inefficient traditional trial-and-error methods and the huge searching space filled by millions of candidates, discovering new perovskite visible photocatalysts with higher hydrogen production rate(...Suffering from the inefficient traditional trial-and-error methods and the huge searching space filled by millions of candidates, discovering new perovskite visible photocatalysts with higher hydrogen production rate(RH_(2)) still remains a challenge in the field of photocatalytic water splitting(PWS). Herein, we established structural-property models targeted to RH_(2) and the proper bandgap(Eg) via machine learning(ML) technology to accelerate the discovery of efficient perovskite photocatalysts for PWS. The Pearson correlation coefficients(R) of leave-one-out cross validation(LOOCV) were adopted to compare the performances of different algorithms including gradient boosting regression(GBR), support vector regression(SVR), backpropagation artificial neural network(BPANN), and random forest(RF). It was found that the BPANN model showed the highest R values from LOOCV and testing data of 0.9897 and 0.9740 for RH_(2),while the GBR model had the best values of 0.9290 and 0.9207 for Eg. Furtherly, 14 potential PWS perovskite candidates were screened out from 30,000 ABO3-type perovskite structures under the criteria of structural stability, Eg, conduction band energy, valence band energy and RH_(2). The average RH_(2) of these14 perovskites is 6.4% higher than the highest value in the training data set. Moreover, the online web servers were developed to share our prediction models, which could be accessible in http://materialsdata-mining.com/ocpmdm/material_api/ahfga3d9puqlknig(E_g prediction) and http://materials-datamining.com/ocpmdm/material_api/i0 ucuyn3 wsd14940(RH_(2) prediction).展开更多
Single-atom catalysts(SACs),with atomically dispersed metal atoms anchored on a typical support,representing the utmost utilization effi ciency of the atoms,have recently emerged as promising catalysts for a variety o...Single-atom catalysts(SACs),with atomically dispersed metal atoms anchored on a typical support,representing the utmost utilization effi ciency of the atoms,have recently emerged as promising catalysts for a variety of catalytic applications.The electronic properties of the active center of SACs are highly dependent on the local environment constituted by the single metal atom and its surrounding coordination elements.Therefore,engineering the coordination environment near single metal sites,from the fi rst coordination shell to the second shell or higher,would be a rational way to design effi cient SACs with optimized electronic structure for catalytic applications.The wide range of coordination confi gurations,guaranteed by the multiple choices of the type and heterogeneity of the coordination element(N,O,P,S,etc.),further off er a large opportunity to rationally design SACs for satisfactory activities and investigate the structure-performance relationship.In this review,the coordination engineering of SACs by varying the type of coordination element was elaborated and the photocatalytic water splitting of SACs was highlighted.Finally,challenging issues related to the coordination engineering of SACs and their photocatalytic applications were discussed to call for more eff orts devoted to the further development of single-atom catalysis.展开更多
Perovskite SrTaO_(2)N is one of the most promising narrow-bandgap photocatalysts for Z-scheme overall water splitting.However,the formation of defect states during thermal nitridation severely hinders the separation o...Perovskite SrTaO_(2)N is one of the most promising narrow-bandgap photocatalysts for Z-scheme overall water splitting.However,the formation of defect states during thermal nitridation severely hinders the separation of charges,resulting in poor photocatalytic activity.In the present study,we successfully synthesize SrTaO_(2)N photocatalyst with low density of defect states,uniform morphology and particle size by flux-assisted one-pot nitridation combined with Mg doping.Some important parameters,such as the size of unit cell,the content of nitrogen,and microstructure,prove the successful doping of Mg.The defect-related carrier recombination has been significantly reduced by Mg doping,which effectively promotes the charge separation.Moreover,Mg doping induces a change of the band edge,which makes proton reduction have a stronger driving force.After modifying with the core/shell-structured Pt/Cr_(2)O_(3)cocatalyst,the H_(2)evolution activity of the optimized SrTaO_(2)N:Mg is 10 times that of the undoped SrTaO_(2)N,with an impressive apparent quantum yield of 1.51%at 420 nm.By coupling with Au-FeCoO_(x)modified BiVO_(4)as an O_(2)-evolution photocatalyst and[Fe(CN)_(6)]_(3)−/[Fe(CN)_(6)]_(4)−as the redox couple,a redox-based Z-scheme overall water splitting system is successfully constructed with an apparent quantum yield of 1.36%at 420 nm.This work provides an alternative way to prepare oxynitride semiconductors with reduced defects to promote the conversion of solar energy.展开更多
Surface reconstructed SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals were synthesized by a thermal treatment process in presence of NaBH_(4)and SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals.The surface reconstruction of SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals is attributed to the int...Surface reconstructed SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals were synthesized by a thermal treatment process in presence of NaBH_(4)and SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals.The surface reconstruction of SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals is attributed to the introduction of surface oxygen vacancies or Ti sites(such as Ti^(3+)and Ti^(2+))during the hydrogenation treatment process.The light absorption and the charge transfer ability of SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals are simultaneously enhanced due to surface oxygen vacancies or Ti sites(such as Ti^(3+)and Ti^(2+)),which are beneficial to photocatalytic water splitting.Meanwhile,these defects also change the redox potential of the photocatalysts.Since there existed a synergistic effect between the three,the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen production was also regulated.展开更多
When a proton reduction cocatalyst is loaded on an n-type semiconductor for photocatalytic overall water splitting(POWS),the location of water oxidation sites is generally considered at the surface of the semiconducto...When a proton reduction cocatalyst is loaded on an n-type semiconductor for photocatalytic overall water splitting(POWS),the location of water oxidation sites is generally considered at the surface of the semiconductor due to upward band-bending of n-type semiconductor which may ease the transfer of the photogenerated holes to the surface.However,this is not the case for Pt/SrTiO_(3),a model semiconductor based photocatalyst for POWS.It was found that the photogenerated holes are more readily accumulated at the interface between Pt cocatalyst and SrTiO_(3) photocatalyst as probed by photo-oxidative deposition of PbO_(2),indicating that the water oxidation sites are located at the interface between Pt and SrTiO_(3).Electron paramagnetic resonance and scanning transmission electron microscope studies suggest that the interfacial oxygen atoms between Pt and SrTiO_(3) in Pt/SrTiO_(3) after POWS are more readily lost to form oxygen vacancies upon vacuum heat treatment,regardless of Pt loading by photodeposition or impregnation methods,which may serve as additional support for the location of the active sites for water oxidation at the interface.Density functional theory calculations also suggest that the oxygen evolution reaction more readily occurs at the interfacial sites with the lowest overpotential.These experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the more active sites for water oxidation are located at the interface between Pt and SrTiO_(3),rather than on the surface of SrTiO_(3).Hence,the tailor design and control of the interfacial properties are extremely important for the achievement or improvement of the POWS on cocatalyst loaded semiconductor photocatalyst.展开更多
Noble metal cocatalysts have shown great potential in boosting the performance of CdS in photocatalytic water splitting.However,the mechanism and kinetics of electron transfer in noble-metal-decorated CdS during pract...Noble metal cocatalysts have shown great potential in boosting the performance of CdS in photocatalytic water splitting.However,the mechanism and kinetics of electron transfer in noble-metal-decorated CdS during practical hydrogen evolution is not clearly elucidated.Herein,Pt-nanoparticle-decorated CdS nanorods(CdS/Pt)are utilized as the model system to analyze the electron transfer kinetics in CdS/Pt heterojunction.Through femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy,three dominating exciton quenching pathways are observed and assigned to the trapping of photogenerated electrons at shallow states,recombination of free electrons and trapped holes,and radiative recombination of locally photogenerated electron-hole pairs.The introduction of Pt cocatalyst can release the electrons trapped at the shallow states and construct an ultrafast electron transfer tunnel at the CdS/Pt interface.When CdS/Pt is dispersed in acetonitrile,the lifetime and rate for interfacial electron transfer are respectively calculated to be~5.5 ps and~3.5×10^(10) s^(−1).The CdS/Pt is again dispersed in water to simulate photocatalytic water splitting.The lifetime of the interfacial electron transfer decreases to~5.1 ps and the electron transfer rate increases to~4.9×10^(10) s^(−1),confirming that Pt nanoparticles serve as the main active sites of hydrogen evolution.This work reveals the role of Pt cocatalysts in enhancing the photocatalytic performance of CdS from the perspective of electron transfer kinetics.展开更多
Converting solar energy into electric power or hydrogen fuel is a promising means to obtain renewable green energy.Here, we design a two-dimensional blue phosphorene(BlueP)/MoSi2N4van der Waals heterostructure(vdWH) a...Converting solar energy into electric power or hydrogen fuel is a promising means to obtain renewable green energy.Here, we design a two-dimensional blue phosphorene(BlueP)/MoSi2N4van der Waals heterostructure(vdWH) and investigate its potential application in photocatalysis and photovoltaics using first-principles calculations. We find that the BlueP/MoSi2N4vdWH possesses type-Ⅱ band structure with a large build-in electric field, thus endowing it with a potential ability to separate photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The calculated band-edge positions show that the heterostructure is a very promising water-splitting photocatalyst. Its solar-to-hydrogen efficiency(ηSTH) can reach up to 15.8%, which is quite promising for commercial applications. Furthermore, the BlueP/MoSi2N4vdWH shows remarkably light absorption capacity and distinguished maximum power conversion efficiency(ηPCE) up to 10.61%. Remarkably, its ηPCEcan be further enhanced by the external strain: the ηPCEof 21.20% can be obtained under a 4% tensile strain. Finally, we determine that adjusting the number of the BlueP sublayer is another effective method to modulate the band gaps and band alignments of the heterostructures. These theoretical findings indicate that BlueP/MoSi2N4vd WH is a promising candidate for photocatalyst and photovoltaic device.展开更多
Ferroelectric materials hold great promise in photocatalytic water splitting because their built-in electric field induced by the depolarization field can fulfill the separation of photogenerated carriers.However,a nu...Ferroelectric materials hold great promise in photocatalytic water splitting because their built-in electric field induced by the depolarization field can fulfill the separation of photogenerated carriers.However,a number of intrinsic charged vacancy defects are simultaneously generated to screen the depolarized field for stabilizing the crystal structure,always resulting in severe recombination of photogenerated carriers and thus poor overall water splitting activity.Herein,we proposed a strategy to promote the separation and transport of photogenerated carriers of ferroelectric photocatalysts by adjusting the ferroelectric polarization and altering the coordination environment of elements to reduce the defect concentration.Specifically,we prepared a series of Ta-doped PbTiO_(3)with low Pb(V_(Pb))and O(V_(O))vacancy concentrations by reducing the polarization intensity and strengthening the Pb–O interaction.The Ta-doped PbTiO_(3)shows efficient charge separation and greatly enhanced photocatalytic overall water splitting activity with the assistance of cocatalyst.This work highlights the importance of regulating ferroelectric polarization and vacancy defect concentration by the doping strategy in charge separation for photocatalytic water splitting.展开更多
In the past decade,ferroelectric materials have been intensively explored as promising photocatalysts.An intriguing ability of ferroelectrics is to directly sperate the photogenerated electrons and holes,which is beli...In the past decade,ferroelectric materials have been intensively explored as promising photocatalysts.An intriguing ability of ferroelectrics is to directly sperate the photogenerated electrons and holes,which is believed to arise from a spontaneous polarization.Understanding how polarization affects the photocatalytic performance is vital to design high-efficiency photocatalysts.In this work,we report a size effect of ferroelectric polarization on regulating the photocatalytic overall water splitting of SrTiO_(3)/PbTiO_(3)nanoplate heterostructures for the first time.This was realized hydrothermally by controlling the thickness and thus spontaneous polarization strength of single-crystal and single-domain PbTiO_(3)nanoplates,which served as the substrate for selective heteroepitaxial growth of SrTiO_(3).An enhancement of 22 times in the photocatalytic overall water splitting performance of the heterostructures has been achieved when the average thickness of the nanoplate increases from 30 to 107 nm.A combined experimental investigation revealed that the incompletely compensated depolarization filed is the dominated driving force for the photogenerated carrier separation within heterostructures,and its increase with the thickness of the nanoplates accounts for the enhancement of photocatalytic activity.Moreover,the concentration of oxygen vacancies for negative polarization compensation has been found to grow as the thickness of the nanoplates increases,which promotes oxygen evolution reaction and reduces the stoichiometric ratio of H_(2)/O_(2).These findings may provide the opportunity to design and develop high-efficiency ferroelectric photocatalysts.展开更多
Relationship between the activity for photocatalytic H_(2)O overall splitting(HOS)and the electron occupancy on d orbits of the active component in photocatalysts shows volcanic diagram,and specially the d^(10)electro...Relationship between the activity for photocatalytic H_(2)O overall splitting(HOS)and the electron occupancy on d orbits of the active component in photocatalysts shows volcanic diagram,and specially the d^(10)electronic configuration in valley bottom exhibits inert activity,which seriously fetters the development of catalytic materials with great potentials.Herein,In d^(10)electronic configuration of In_(2)O_(3)was activated by phosphorus atoms replacing its lattice oxygen to regulate the collocation of the ascended In 5p-band(Inɛ5p)and descended O 2p-band(Oɛ2p)centers as efficient active sites for chemisorption to*OH and*H during forward HOS,respectively,along with a declined In 4d-band center(Inɛ4d)to inhibit its backward reaction.A stable STH efficiency of 2.23%under AM 1.5 G irradiation at 65°C has been obtained over the activated d^(10)electronic configuration with a lowered activation energy for H_(2)evolution,verified by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy,in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and theoretical calculations of dynamics.These findings devote to activating d^(10)electronic configuration for resolving the reaction energy barrier and dynamical bottleneck of forward HOS,which expands the exploration of high-efficiency catalytic materials.展开更多
Currently,photocatalytic water splitting is regarded as promising technology in renewable energy generation.However,the conversion efficiency suffers great restriction due to the rapid recombination of charge carriers...Currently,photocatalytic water splitting is regarded as promising technology in renewable energy generation.However,the conversion efficiency suffers great restriction due to the rapid recombination of charge carriers.Rational designed the structure and doping elements become important alternative routes to improve the performance of photocatalyst.In this work,we rational designed oxygen-doped graphitic carbon nitride(OCN)nanotubes derived from supermolecular intermediates for photocata lytic water splitting.The as prepared OCN nanotubes exhibit an outstanding hydrogen evolution rate of 73.84μmol h^(-1),outperforming the most of reported one dimensional(1D)g-C_(3)N_(4) previously.Due to the rational oxygen doping,the band structure of g-C_(3)N_(4) is meliorated,which can narrow the band gap and reduce the recombination rate of photogene rated carriers.Furthermore,the hollow nanotube structure of OCN also provide multiple diffuse reflection during photocata lytic reaction,which can significantly promote the utilization capacity of visible light and enhance the photocatalytic water splitting performance.It is believed that our work not only rationally controls the nanostructure,but also introduces useful heteroatom into the matrix of photocatalyst,which provides an effective way to design high-efficiency g-C_(3)N_(4) photocatalyst.展开更多
Cr doped Ruddlesden-Popper compound Sr2 TiO4 has been successfully modified by fluorine to form a new compound Sr2 Ti(0.95) Cr(0.05) O3 F2. Structure analysis suggests two types of fluorine in the structure of this ne...Cr doped Ruddlesden-Popper compound Sr2 TiO4 has been successfully modified by fluorine to form a new compound Sr2 Ti(0.95) Cr(0.05) O3 F2. Structure analysis suggests two types of fluorine in the structure of this new compound, i.e. intralayer and interlayer F, which induce strong built-in electric field within this layered compound. The electric field stems from uneven distribution of F atoms on the two sides of perovskite layers therefore leads to charge disproportionation. DFT calculations suggest that this unique structural feature is highly beneficial for charge dissociations as it breaks the coplanar settlement of conduction band minimum and valence band maximum whilst maintains the 2 D charge transportation properties. This is clearly demonstrated by the superior photocatalytic activities of Sr2 Ti(0.95) Cr(0.05) O3 F2 for hydrogen production from water. Apparent quantum efficiency(AQE) as high as 1.16% at 420 ± 20 nm has been achieved which stands as the highest AQE reported on Sr2 TiO4 to date. Photoelectrochemical(PEC)analysis confirms improved charge separation conditions and prolonged charge lifetime.展开更多
Solar-driven water splitting is a promising alternative to industrial hydrogen production.This study reports an elaborate design and synthesis of the integration of cadmium sulfi de(CdS)quantum dots and cuprous sulfi ...Solar-driven water splitting is a promising alternative to industrial hydrogen production.This study reports an elaborate design and synthesis of the integration of cadmium sulfi de(CdS)quantum dots and cuprous sulfi de(Cu_(2)S)nanosheets as three-dimensional(3D)hollow octahedral Cu_(2)S/CdS p-n heterostructured architectures by a versatile template and one-pot sulfi dation strategy.3D hierarchical hollow nanostructures can strengthen multiple refl ections of solar light and provide a large specifi c surface area and abundant reaction sites for photocatalytic water splitting.Owing to the construction of the p-n heterostructure as an ideal catalytic model with highly matched band alignment at Cu_(2)S/CdS interfaces,the emerging internal electric fi eld can facilitate the space separation and transfer of photoexcited charges between CdS and Cu_(2)S and also enhance charge dynamics and prolong charge lifetimes.Notably,the unique hollow Cu_(2)S/CdS architectures deliver a largely enhanced visible-light-driven hydrogen generation rate of 4.76 mmol/(g·h),which is nearly 8.5 and 476 times larger than that of pristine CdS and Cu_(2)S catalysts,respectively.This work not only paves the way for the rational design and fabrication of hollow photocatalysts but also clarifi es the crucial role of unique heterostructure in photocatalysis for solar energy conversion.展开更多
Van der Waals(VDW)heterojunctions in a 2D/2D contact provide the highest area for the separation and transfer of charge carriers.In this work,a top-down strategy with a gas erosion process was employed to fabricate a ...Van der Waals(VDW)heterojunctions in a 2D/2D contact provide the highest area for the separation and transfer of charge carriers.In this work,a top-down strategy with a gas erosion process was employed to fabricate a 2D/2D carbon nitride VDW heterojunction in carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))with carbon-rich carbon nitride.The created 2D semiconducting channel in the VDW structure exhibits enhanced electric field exposure and radiation absorption,which facilitates the separation of the charge carriers and their mobility.Consequently,compared with bulk g-C_(3)N_(4)and its nanosheets,the photocatalytic performance of the fabricated carbon nitride VDW heterojunction in the water splitting reaction to hydrogen is improved by 8.6 and 3.3 times,respectively,while maintaining satisfactory photo-stability.Mechanistically,the finite element method(FEM)was employed to evaluate and clarify the contributions of the formation of VDW heterojunction to enhanced photocatalysis,in agreement quantitatively with experimental ones.This study provides a new and effective strategy for the modification and more insights to performance improvement on polymeric semiconductors in photocatalysis and energy conversion.展开更多
Highly crystalline organic semiconductors are ideal materials for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in water splitting.However,the instability and complex synthesis processes of most reported organic molecule-based ph...Highly crystalline organic semiconductors are ideal materials for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in water splitting.However,the instability and complex synthesis processes of most reported organic molecule-based photocatalysts restrict their applications.In this study,we introduce benzo[1,2-b:4,5-bʹ]bis[1]benzothiophene-3,9-dicarboxylic acid,5,5,11,11-tetraoxide(FSOCA),a highly crystalline,stable molecular crystal that is easy to synthesize and serves as an efficient photocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction.FSOCA exhibits high efficiency in sacrificial hydrogen evolution reaction(760μmol h^(−1),76 mmol g^(−1)h^(−1)at 330 mW cm^(−2);570μmol h^(−1),57 mmol g^(−1)h^(−1)at 250 mW cm^(−2)),and FSOCA remains stable during photocatalysis for up to 400 h.Experiments and theoretical studies confirmed the presence of hydrogen bonds between the sulfone group and the sacrificial agent(ascorbic acid).This interaction significantly improved the oxidation reaction kinetics and boosted the photocatalytic performance.This study presents a scalable and convenient approach to synthesize highly crystalline,active,and stable organic photocatalysts with potential applications in large-scale photocatalysis.展开更多
With continuous research on photocatalytic water splitting, searching for efficient catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) becomes popular topic in addition to main catalyst research. Transition metal phosphide...With continuous research on photocatalytic water splitting, searching for efficient catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) becomes popular topic in addition to main catalyst research. Transition metal phosphides are receiving intense attention due to its abundance in the Earth's crust and comparable catalytic properties to noble metals. In this review, the synthesis approaches, HER reaction mechanism,photocatalytic activity, approaches to improve the activity of transition metal phosphides were reviewed and discussed. It was showed that the transition metal phosphides have great potential to reduce the cost of photocatalyst and promising application on water splitting. The stability problem and participation of poisonous reactant and product in its synthesis reaction limit its application and developing in a certain extent, but with the continuous efforts on the development and improvement of the synthesis methods,transition metal phosphides will find wide application in water splitting.展开更多
In this paper,a visible light-responsive Sn^(2+)and N co-doped TiO_(2)photocatalyst was prepared by facile one-pot hydrothermal method.All as-prepared samples were characterized in detail by a series of characterizati...In this paper,a visible light-responsive Sn^(2+)and N co-doped TiO_(2)photocatalyst was prepared by facile one-pot hydrothermal method.All as-prepared samples were characterized in detail by a series of characterization approaches.The results showed that the Sn^(2+)and N elements were co-doped into TiO_(2),while the catalyst still maintains anatase crystal structure and gets irregular little nanocluster in diameter of 9–10 nm with higher specific surface area.The absorption edge of Sn^(2+)and N co-doped TiO_(2)extends to the visible light region.Compared with Sn^(2+)-doped TiO_(2)and N-TiO_(2),the absorption edges have obvious red-shift of about 50 and 70 nm,respectively.The synergistic effect of O 2p-N 2p and O 2p-Sn 5s hybridization to form impurity levels is the main reason for the red-shift.The hydrogen production performance of the Sn^(2+)and N co-doping TiO_(2)(n(N)/n(Ti)=1)catalyst reached the maximum value of 0.37 mmol·h^(-1)·g^(-1)under visible light,which is higher than that of N-doped TiO_(2)and SnTiO_(2)-doped TiO_(2)singly.This result is due to the wider visible light region-responsive ability of Sn^(2+)and N codoped into TiO_(2).Furthermore,mild hydrothermal methods will not make the Sn^(2+)oxidized to Sn^(4+),which make the catalysts still maintain high photocatalytic performance.This work provides a simple and mild method for the preparation of dual-element co-doped TiO_(2)with high crystallinity,excellent performance and broad application prospects.展开更多
Two-dimensional(2 D)van der Waals materials have been widely adopted as photocatalysts for water splitting,but the energy conversion efficiency remains low.On the basis of first-principles calculations,we demonstrate ...Two-dimensional(2 D)van der Waals materials have been widely adopted as photocatalysts for water splitting,but the energy conversion efficiency remains low.On the basis of first-principles calculations,we demonstrate that the 2 D Janus group-Ⅲchalcogenide multilayers:In Ga XY,M2XY and In GaX2(M=In/Ga;X,Y=S/Se/Te),are promising photocatalysts for highly-efficient overall water splitting.The intrinsic electric field enhances the spatial separations of photogenerated carriers and alters the band alignment,which is more pronounced compared with the Janus monolayers.High solar-to-hydrogen(STH)efficiency with the upper limit of 38.5%was predicted in the Janus multilayers.More excitingly,the Ga vacancy of In Ga SSe bilayer effectively lowers the overpotentials of hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)to the levels provided solely by the photogenerated carriers.Our theoretical results suggest that the 2 D Janus group-III chalcogenide multilayers could be utilized as highly efficient photocatalysts for overall water splitting without the needs of sacrificial reagents.展开更多
Photocatalytic water splitting has increasingly attracted attention as one of the most useful methods of converting solar energy into chemical fuel.However,the undesirable reverse reaction significantly limits the enh...Photocatalytic water splitting has increasingly attracted attention as one of the most useful methods of converting solar energy into chemical fuel.However,the undesirable reverse reaction significantly limits the enhancement of efficiency.Herein,we fabricated an Au nanorods/TiO2 nanodumbbells structure photocatalyst(Au NRs/TiO2 NDs)via a facile synthetic strategy,which has spatially separated oxidation and reduction reaction zones.Owing to the unique structure,the charge separation of these photocatalysts can be significantly improved and the reverse reaction can be efficiently inhibited.The photogenerated electrons were injected from the TiO2 to the Au NRs,and a positively charged TiO2 region and negatively charged Au region were formed under UV irradiation.An enhanced hydrogen production performance was obtained compared with that seen in normal Au-TiO2 heterostructure.Under optimized conditions,the H2-production rate can reach up to 60,264μmol/g/h,about six times higher than previously reported Au/TiO2 photocatalysts.Besides this,our work also demonstrates the key factors of precise synthesis of the Au NRs/TiO2 NDs structure,which provides a new perspective and experience for the design of similar catalysts.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21703046)the National Key R&D of China(2016YFF0203803 and 2016YFA0200902)~~
文摘Photocatalytic oxidation of water is a promising method to realize large-scale H2O2 production without a hazardous and energy-intensive process. In this study, we introduce a Pt/TiO2(anatase) photocatalyst to construct a simple and environmentally friendly system to achieve simultaneous H2 and H2O2 production. Both H2 and H2O2 are high-value chemicals, and their separation is automatic. Even without the assistance of a sacrificial agent, the system can reach an efficiency of 7410 and 5096 μmol g^-1 h^–1 (first 1 h) for H2 and H2O2, respectively, which is much higher than that of a commercial Pt/TiO2(anatase) system that has a similar morphology. This exceptional activity is attributed to the more favorable two-electron oxidation of water to H2O2, compared with the four-electron oxidation of water to O2.
基金Financial support to this work from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFB0700504)the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (18520723500) is gratefully acknowledged。
文摘Suffering from the inefficient traditional trial-and-error methods and the huge searching space filled by millions of candidates, discovering new perovskite visible photocatalysts with higher hydrogen production rate(RH_(2)) still remains a challenge in the field of photocatalytic water splitting(PWS). Herein, we established structural-property models targeted to RH_(2) and the proper bandgap(Eg) via machine learning(ML) technology to accelerate the discovery of efficient perovskite photocatalysts for PWS. The Pearson correlation coefficients(R) of leave-one-out cross validation(LOOCV) were adopted to compare the performances of different algorithms including gradient boosting regression(GBR), support vector regression(SVR), backpropagation artificial neural network(BPANN), and random forest(RF). It was found that the BPANN model showed the highest R values from LOOCV and testing data of 0.9897 and 0.9740 for RH_(2),while the GBR model had the best values of 0.9290 and 0.9207 for Eg. Furtherly, 14 potential PWS perovskite candidates were screened out from 30,000 ABO3-type perovskite structures under the criteria of structural stability, Eg, conduction band energy, valence band energy and RH_(2). The average RH_(2) of these14 perovskites is 6.4% higher than the highest value in the training data set. Moreover, the online web servers were developed to share our prediction models, which could be accessible in http://materialsdata-mining.com/ocpmdm/material_api/ahfga3d9puqlknig(E_g prediction) and http://materials-datamining.com/ocpmdm/material_api/i0 ucuyn3 wsd14940(RH_(2) prediction).
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.21805191 and 21972094)the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Founda-tion(No.2020A1515010982)+1 种基金Shenzhen Pengcheng Scholar Program,Shenzhen Peacock Plan(No.KQTD2016053112042971)Shenzhen Science and Technology Program(Nos.KQJSCX20170727100802505 and RCJC20200714114434086).
文摘Single-atom catalysts(SACs),with atomically dispersed metal atoms anchored on a typical support,representing the utmost utilization effi ciency of the atoms,have recently emerged as promising catalysts for a variety of catalytic applications.The electronic properties of the active center of SACs are highly dependent on the local environment constituted by the single metal atom and its surrounding coordination elements.Therefore,engineering the coordination environment near single metal sites,from the fi rst coordination shell to the second shell or higher,would be a rational way to design effi cient SACs with optimized electronic structure for catalytic applications.The wide range of coordination confi gurations,guaranteed by the multiple choices of the type and heterogeneity of the coordination element(N,O,P,S,etc.),further off er a large opportunity to rationally design SACs for satisfactory activities and investigate the structure-performance relationship.In this review,the coordination engineering of SACs by varying the type of coordination element was elaborated and the photocatalytic water splitting of SACs was highlighted.Finally,challenging issues related to the coordination engineering of SACs and their photocatalytic applications were discussed to call for more eff orts devoted to the further development of single-atom catalysis.
文摘Perovskite SrTaO_(2)N is one of the most promising narrow-bandgap photocatalysts for Z-scheme overall water splitting.However,the formation of defect states during thermal nitridation severely hinders the separation of charges,resulting in poor photocatalytic activity.In the present study,we successfully synthesize SrTaO_(2)N photocatalyst with low density of defect states,uniform morphology and particle size by flux-assisted one-pot nitridation combined with Mg doping.Some important parameters,such as the size of unit cell,the content of nitrogen,and microstructure,prove the successful doping of Mg.The defect-related carrier recombination has been significantly reduced by Mg doping,which effectively promotes the charge separation.Moreover,Mg doping induces a change of the band edge,which makes proton reduction have a stronger driving force.After modifying with the core/shell-structured Pt/Cr_(2)O_(3)cocatalyst,the H_(2)evolution activity of the optimized SrTaO_(2)N:Mg is 10 times that of the undoped SrTaO_(2)N,with an impressive apparent quantum yield of 1.51%at 420 nm.By coupling with Au-FeCoO_(x)modified BiVO_(4)as an O_(2)-evolution photocatalyst and[Fe(CN)_(6)]_(3)−/[Fe(CN)_(6)]_(4)−as the redox couple,a redox-based Z-scheme overall water splitting system is successfully constructed with an apparent quantum yield of 1.36%at 420 nm.This work provides an alternative way to prepare oxynitride semiconductors with reduced defects to promote the conversion of solar energy.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.21773153)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018YFB1502001).
文摘Surface reconstructed SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals were synthesized by a thermal treatment process in presence of NaBH_(4)and SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals.The surface reconstruction of SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals is attributed to the introduction of surface oxygen vacancies or Ti sites(such as Ti^(3+)and Ti^(2+))during the hydrogenation treatment process.The light absorption and the charge transfer ability of SrTiO_(3)nanocrystals are simultaneously enhanced due to surface oxygen vacancies or Ti sites(such as Ti^(3+)and Ti^(2+)),which are beneficial to photocatalytic water splitting.Meanwhile,these defects also change the redox potential of the photocatalysts.Since there existed a synergistic effect between the three,the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen production was also regulated.
文摘When a proton reduction cocatalyst is loaded on an n-type semiconductor for photocatalytic overall water splitting(POWS),the location of water oxidation sites is generally considered at the surface of the semiconductor due to upward band-bending of n-type semiconductor which may ease the transfer of the photogenerated holes to the surface.However,this is not the case for Pt/SrTiO_(3),a model semiconductor based photocatalyst for POWS.It was found that the photogenerated holes are more readily accumulated at the interface between Pt cocatalyst and SrTiO_(3) photocatalyst as probed by photo-oxidative deposition of PbO_(2),indicating that the water oxidation sites are located at the interface between Pt and SrTiO_(3).Electron paramagnetic resonance and scanning transmission electron microscope studies suggest that the interfacial oxygen atoms between Pt and SrTiO_(3) in Pt/SrTiO_(3) after POWS are more readily lost to form oxygen vacancies upon vacuum heat treatment,regardless of Pt loading by photodeposition or impregnation methods,which may serve as additional support for the location of the active sites for water oxidation at the interface.Density functional theory calculations also suggest that the oxygen evolution reaction more readily occurs at the interfacial sites with the lowest overpotential.These experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the more active sites for water oxidation are located at the interface between Pt and SrTiO_(3),rather than on the surface of SrTiO_(3).Hence,the tailor design and control of the interfacial properties are extremely important for the achievement or improvement of the POWS on cocatalyst loaded semiconductor photocatalyst.
文摘Noble metal cocatalysts have shown great potential in boosting the performance of CdS in photocatalytic water splitting.However,the mechanism and kinetics of electron transfer in noble-metal-decorated CdS during practical hydrogen evolution is not clearly elucidated.Herein,Pt-nanoparticle-decorated CdS nanorods(CdS/Pt)are utilized as the model system to analyze the electron transfer kinetics in CdS/Pt heterojunction.Through femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy,three dominating exciton quenching pathways are observed and assigned to the trapping of photogenerated electrons at shallow states,recombination of free electrons and trapped holes,and radiative recombination of locally photogenerated electron-hole pairs.The introduction of Pt cocatalyst can release the electrons trapped at the shallow states and construct an ultrafast electron transfer tunnel at the CdS/Pt interface.When CdS/Pt is dispersed in acetonitrile,the lifetime and rate for interfacial electron transfer are respectively calculated to be~5.5 ps and~3.5×10^(10) s^(−1).The CdS/Pt is again dispersed in water to simulate photocatalytic water splitting.The lifetime of the interfacial electron transfer decreases to~5.1 ps and the electron transfer rate increases to~4.9×10^(10) s^(−1),confirming that Pt nanoparticles serve as the main active sites of hydrogen evolution.This work reveals the role of Pt cocatalysts in enhancing the photocatalytic performance of CdS from the perspective of electron transfer kinetics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11374226)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Universities of Henan Province of China (Grant No. NSFRF200331)+1 种基金the Foundation of Henan Educational Committee (Grant No. 20A140013)by the High-performance Grid Computing Platform of Henan Polytechnic University。
文摘Converting solar energy into electric power or hydrogen fuel is a promising means to obtain renewable green energy.Here, we design a two-dimensional blue phosphorene(BlueP)/MoSi2N4van der Waals heterostructure(vdWH) and investigate its potential application in photocatalysis and photovoltaics using first-principles calculations. We find that the BlueP/MoSi2N4vdWH possesses type-Ⅱ band structure with a large build-in electric field, thus endowing it with a potential ability to separate photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The calculated band-edge positions show that the heterostructure is a very promising water-splitting photocatalyst. Its solar-to-hydrogen efficiency(ηSTH) can reach up to 15.8%, which is quite promising for commercial applications. Furthermore, the BlueP/MoSi2N4vdWH shows remarkably light absorption capacity and distinguished maximum power conversion efficiency(ηPCE) up to 10.61%. Remarkably, its ηPCEcan be further enhanced by the external strain: the ηPCEof 21.20% can be obtained under a 4% tensile strain. Finally, we determine that adjusting the number of the BlueP sublayer is another effective method to modulate the band gaps and band alignments of the heterostructures. These theoretical findings indicate that BlueP/MoSi2N4vd WH is a promising candidate for photocatalyst and photovoltaic device.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52425201,52120105003,52002377,52372243)the National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFA1500800)+2 种基金the CAS Projects for Young Scientists in Basic Research(YSBR-004)the International Partnership Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(174321KYSB20200005)the financial support from the New Cornerstone Science Foundation through the XPLORER PRIZE。
文摘Ferroelectric materials hold great promise in photocatalytic water splitting because their built-in electric field induced by the depolarization field can fulfill the separation of photogenerated carriers.However,a number of intrinsic charged vacancy defects are simultaneously generated to screen the depolarized field for stabilizing the crystal structure,always resulting in severe recombination of photogenerated carriers and thus poor overall water splitting activity.Herein,we proposed a strategy to promote the separation and transport of photogenerated carriers of ferroelectric photocatalysts by adjusting the ferroelectric polarization and altering the coordination environment of elements to reduce the defect concentration.Specifically,we prepared a series of Ta-doped PbTiO_(3)with low Pb(V_(Pb))and O(V_(O))vacancy concentrations by reducing the polarization intensity and strengthening the Pb–O interaction.The Ta-doped PbTiO_(3)shows efficient charge separation and greatly enhanced photocatalytic overall water splitting activity with the assistance of cocatalyst.This work highlights the importance of regulating ferroelectric polarization and vacancy defect concentration by the doping strategy in charge separation for photocatalytic water splitting.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2021YFA1500800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52425201,52272129,and 12125407)+2 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province,China(No.LR21E020004)the ShanxiZheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering(No.2021SX-FR007)the Joint Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U21A2067).
文摘In the past decade,ferroelectric materials have been intensively explored as promising photocatalysts.An intriguing ability of ferroelectrics is to directly sperate the photogenerated electrons and holes,which is believed to arise from a spontaneous polarization.Understanding how polarization affects the photocatalytic performance is vital to design high-efficiency photocatalysts.In this work,we report a size effect of ferroelectric polarization on regulating the photocatalytic overall water splitting of SrTiO_(3)/PbTiO_(3)nanoplate heterostructures for the first time.This was realized hydrothermally by controlling the thickness and thus spontaneous polarization strength of single-crystal and single-domain PbTiO_(3)nanoplates,which served as the substrate for selective heteroepitaxial growth of SrTiO_(3).An enhancement of 22 times in the photocatalytic overall water splitting performance of the heterostructures has been achieved when the average thickness of the nanoplate increases from 30 to 107 nm.A combined experimental investigation revealed that the incompletely compensated depolarization filed is the dominated driving force for the photogenerated carrier separation within heterostructures,and its increase with the thickness of the nanoplates accounts for the enhancement of photocatalytic activity.Moreover,the concentration of oxygen vacancies for negative polarization compensation has been found to grow as the thickness of the nanoplates increases,which promotes oxygen evolution reaction and reduces the stoichiometric ratio of H_(2)/O_(2).These findings may provide the opportunity to design and develop high-efficiency ferroelectric photocatalysts.
文摘Relationship between the activity for photocatalytic H_(2)O overall splitting(HOS)and the electron occupancy on d orbits of the active component in photocatalysts shows volcanic diagram,and specially the d^(10)electronic configuration in valley bottom exhibits inert activity,which seriously fetters the development of catalytic materials with great potentials.Herein,In d^(10)electronic configuration of In_(2)O_(3)was activated by phosphorus atoms replacing its lattice oxygen to regulate the collocation of the ascended In 5p-band(Inɛ5p)and descended O 2p-band(Oɛ2p)centers as efficient active sites for chemisorption to*OH and*H during forward HOS,respectively,along with a declined In 4d-band center(Inɛ4d)to inhibit its backward reaction.A stable STH efficiency of 2.23%under AM 1.5 G irradiation at 65°C has been obtained over the activated d^(10)electronic configuration with a lowered activation energy for H_(2)evolution,verified by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy,in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and theoretical calculations of dynamics.These findings devote to activating d^(10)electronic configuration for resolving the reaction energy barrier and dynamical bottleneck of forward HOS,which expands the exploration of high-efficiency catalytic materials.
基金financially supported by the Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province(2019B010937001)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(50702022,51577070,51702056 and U1601208)+1 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2019A1515012129)Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province(2016B090932005)。
文摘Currently,photocatalytic water splitting is regarded as promising technology in renewable energy generation.However,the conversion efficiency suffers great restriction due to the rapid recombination of charge carriers.Rational designed the structure and doping elements become important alternative routes to improve the performance of photocatalyst.In this work,we rational designed oxygen-doped graphitic carbon nitride(OCN)nanotubes derived from supermolecular intermediates for photocata lytic water splitting.The as prepared OCN nanotubes exhibit an outstanding hydrogen evolution rate of 73.84μmol h^(-1),outperforming the most of reported one dimensional(1D)g-C_(3)N_(4) previously.Due to the rational oxygen doping,the band structure of g-C_(3)N_(4) is meliorated,which can narrow the band gap and reduce the recombination rate of photogene rated carriers.Furthermore,the hollow nanotube structure of OCN also provide multiple diffuse reflection during photocata lytic reaction,which can significantly promote the utilization capacity of visible light and enhance the photocatalytic water splitting performance.It is believed that our work not only rationally controls the nanostructure,but also introduces useful heteroatom into the matrix of photocatalyst,which provides an effective way to design high-efficiency g-C_(3)N_(4) photocatalyst.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant nos. 21401142, 51972233)the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (Grant no. 19ZR1459200) for funding and Recruitment Program of Global Youth Experts (1000 plan)+1 种基金supported by the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission (14DZ2261100)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities。
文摘Cr doped Ruddlesden-Popper compound Sr2 TiO4 has been successfully modified by fluorine to form a new compound Sr2 Ti(0.95) Cr(0.05) O3 F2. Structure analysis suggests two types of fluorine in the structure of this new compound, i.e. intralayer and interlayer F, which induce strong built-in electric field within this layered compound. The electric field stems from uneven distribution of F atoms on the two sides of perovskite layers therefore leads to charge disproportionation. DFT calculations suggest that this unique structural feature is highly beneficial for charge dissociations as it breaks the coplanar settlement of conduction band minimum and valence band maximum whilst maintains the 2 D charge transportation properties. This is clearly demonstrated by the superior photocatalytic activities of Sr2 Ti(0.95) Cr(0.05) O3 F2 for hydrogen production from water. Apparent quantum efficiency(AQE) as high as 1.16% at 420 ± 20 nm has been achieved which stands as the highest AQE reported on Sr2 TiO4 to date. Photoelectrochemical(PEC)analysis confirms improved charge separation conditions and prolonged charge lifetime.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21972015)Young Top Talents Pro-ject of Liaoning Province(No.XLYC1907147)+2 种基金Joint Research Fund Liaoning-Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science(No.2019JH3/30100003)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.DUT20TD06)the Swedish Research Council,and the K&A Wallenberg Foundation.
文摘Solar-driven water splitting is a promising alternative to industrial hydrogen production.This study reports an elaborate design and synthesis of the integration of cadmium sulfi de(CdS)quantum dots and cuprous sulfi de(Cu_(2)S)nanosheets as three-dimensional(3D)hollow octahedral Cu_(2)S/CdS p-n heterostructured architectures by a versatile template and one-pot sulfi dation strategy.3D hierarchical hollow nanostructures can strengthen multiple refl ections of solar light and provide a large specifi c surface area and abundant reaction sites for photocatalytic water splitting.Owing to the construction of the p-n heterostructure as an ideal catalytic model with highly matched band alignment at Cu_(2)S/CdS interfaces,the emerging internal electric fi eld can facilitate the space separation and transfer of photoexcited charges between CdS and Cu_(2)S and also enhance charge dynamics and prolong charge lifetimes.Notably,the unique hollow Cu_(2)S/CdS architectures deliver a largely enhanced visible-light-driven hydrogen generation rate of 4.76 mmol/(g·h),which is nearly 8.5 and 476 times larger than that of pristine CdS and Cu_(2)S catalysts,respectively.This work not only paves the way for the rational design and fabrication of hollow photocatalysts but also clarifi es the crucial role of unique heterostructure in photocatalysis for solar energy conversion.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51676096)supported by the Australian Research Council(DP170104264 and DP190103548).
文摘Van der Waals(VDW)heterojunctions in a 2D/2D contact provide the highest area for the separation and transfer of charge carriers.In this work,a top-down strategy with a gas erosion process was employed to fabricate a 2D/2D carbon nitride VDW heterojunction in carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))with carbon-rich carbon nitride.The created 2D semiconducting channel in the VDW structure exhibits enhanced electric field exposure and radiation absorption,which facilitates the separation of the charge carriers and their mobility.Consequently,compared with bulk g-C_(3)N_(4)and its nanosheets,the photocatalytic performance of the fabricated carbon nitride VDW heterojunction in the water splitting reaction to hydrogen is improved by 8.6 and 3.3 times,respectively,while maintaining satisfactory photo-stability.Mechanistically,the finite element method(FEM)was employed to evaluate and clarify the contributions of the formation of VDW heterojunction to enhanced photocatalysis,in agreement quantitatively with experimental ones.This study provides a new and effective strategy for the modification and more insights to performance improvement on polymeric semiconductors in photocatalysis and energy conversion.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant nos.21975086,22305087,and 52203259)the International S&T Cooperation Program of China(grant nos.2018YFE0117300 and 22161142005)+5 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province(grant no.2022CFB720)X.J.Y.and X.Y.acknowledge the support from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology(HUST)Academic Frontier Youth Team(grant no.2019QYTD11)L.M.Y.and B.Y.S.gratefully acknowledge the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21873032,22073033,21673087,and 21903032)the startup fund from HUST(2006013118 and 3004013105)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2019kfyRCPY116)the Innovation and Talent Recruitment Base of New Energy Chemistry and Device(B21003).
文摘Highly crystalline organic semiconductors are ideal materials for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in water splitting.However,the instability and complex synthesis processes of most reported organic molecule-based photocatalysts restrict their applications.In this study,we introduce benzo[1,2-b:4,5-bʹ]bis[1]benzothiophene-3,9-dicarboxylic acid,5,5,11,11-tetraoxide(FSOCA),a highly crystalline,stable molecular crystal that is easy to synthesize and serves as an efficient photocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction.FSOCA exhibits high efficiency in sacrificial hydrogen evolution reaction(760μmol h^(−1),76 mmol g^(−1)h^(−1)at 330 mW cm^(−2);570μmol h^(−1),57 mmol g^(−1)h^(−1)at 250 mW cm^(−2)),and FSOCA remains stable during photocatalysis for up to 400 h.Experiments and theoretical studies confirmed the presence of hydrogen bonds between the sulfone group and the sacrificial agent(ascorbic acid).This interaction significantly improved the oxidation reaction kinetics and boosted the photocatalytic performance.This study presents a scalable and convenient approach to synthesize highly crystalline,active,and stable organic photocatalysts with potential applications in large-scale photocatalysis.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51202186,21606175 and 51323011)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central University (xjj2016039)
文摘With continuous research on photocatalytic water splitting, searching for efficient catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) becomes popular topic in addition to main catalyst research. Transition metal phosphides are receiving intense attention due to its abundance in the Earth's crust and comparable catalytic properties to noble metals. In this review, the synthesis approaches, HER reaction mechanism,photocatalytic activity, approaches to improve the activity of transition metal phosphides were reviewed and discussed. It was showed that the transition metal phosphides have great potential to reduce the cost of photocatalyst and promising application on water splitting. The stability problem and participation of poisonous reactant and product in its synthesis reaction limit its application and developing in a certain extent, but with the continuous efforts on the development and improvement of the synthesis methods,transition metal phosphides will find wide application in water splitting.
基金This study was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21663009)the National Key R&D Projects of China(No.2018YFC1801706-01)the Science and Technology Supporting Project of Guizhou Province(Nos.[2019]2835 and[2021]480).
文摘In this paper,a visible light-responsive Sn^(2+)and N co-doped TiO_(2)photocatalyst was prepared by facile one-pot hydrothermal method.All as-prepared samples were characterized in detail by a series of characterization approaches.The results showed that the Sn^(2+)and N elements were co-doped into TiO_(2),while the catalyst still maintains anatase crystal structure and gets irregular little nanocluster in diameter of 9–10 nm with higher specific surface area.The absorption edge of Sn^(2+)and N co-doped TiO_(2)extends to the visible light region.Compared with Sn^(2+)-doped TiO_(2)and N-TiO_(2),the absorption edges have obvious red-shift of about 50 and 70 nm,respectively.The synergistic effect of O 2p-N 2p and O 2p-Sn 5s hybridization to form impurity levels is the main reason for the red-shift.The hydrogen production performance of the Sn^(2+)and N co-doping TiO_(2)(n(N)/n(Ti)=1)catalyst reached the maximum value of 0.37 mmol·h^(-1)·g^(-1)under visible light,which is higher than that of N-doped TiO_(2)and SnTiO_(2)-doped TiO_(2)singly.This result is due to the wider visible light region-responsive ability of Sn^(2+)and N codoped into TiO_(2).Furthermore,mild hydrothermal methods will not make the Sn^(2+)oxidized to Sn^(4+),which make the catalysts still maintain high photocatalytic performance.This work provides a simple and mild method for the preparation of dual-element co-doped TiO_(2)with high crystallinity,excellent performance and broad application prospects.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21433006 and 11774201)
文摘Two-dimensional(2 D)van der Waals materials have been widely adopted as photocatalysts for water splitting,but the energy conversion efficiency remains low.On the basis of first-principles calculations,we demonstrate that the 2 D Janus group-Ⅲchalcogenide multilayers:In Ga XY,M2XY and In GaX2(M=In/Ga;X,Y=S/Se/Te),are promising photocatalysts for highly-efficient overall water splitting.The intrinsic electric field enhances the spatial separations of photogenerated carriers and alters the band alignment,which is more pronounced compared with the Janus monolayers.High solar-to-hydrogen(STH)efficiency with the upper limit of 38.5%was predicted in the Janus multilayers.More excitingly,the Ga vacancy of In Ga SSe bilayer effectively lowers the overpotentials of hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)to the levels provided solely by the photogenerated carriers.Our theoretical results suggest that the 2 D Janus group-III chalcogenide multilayers could be utilized as highly efficient photocatalysts for overall water splitting without the needs of sacrificial reagents.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21703046)the National Key R&D of China(2016YFF0203803,2016YFA0200902)~~
文摘Photocatalytic water splitting has increasingly attracted attention as one of the most useful methods of converting solar energy into chemical fuel.However,the undesirable reverse reaction significantly limits the enhancement of efficiency.Herein,we fabricated an Au nanorods/TiO2 nanodumbbells structure photocatalyst(Au NRs/TiO2 NDs)via a facile synthetic strategy,which has spatially separated oxidation and reduction reaction zones.Owing to the unique structure,the charge separation of these photocatalysts can be significantly improved and the reverse reaction can be efficiently inhibited.The photogenerated electrons were injected from the TiO2 to the Au NRs,and a positively charged TiO2 region and negatively charged Au region were formed under UV irradiation.An enhanced hydrogen production performance was obtained compared with that seen in normal Au-TiO2 heterostructure.Under optimized conditions,the H2-production rate can reach up to 60,264μmol/g/h,about six times higher than previously reported Au/TiO2 photocatalysts.Besides this,our work also demonstrates the key factors of precise synthesis of the Au NRs/TiO2 NDs structure,which provides a new perspective and experience for the design of similar catalysts.