Tuning Acceptor Length in Photocatalytic Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymers for Efficient Solar-to-Hydrogen Energy Conversion

The development of conjugated polymer photocatalysts for efficient solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion is highly desirable for the sustainability of our society.Although the construction of donor-acceptor(D-A)structure in conjugated polymer photocatalysts for solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion has been well documented,less attention has been paid on how large D and how large A units combined together could achieve the best performance.Herein,a series of D-A copolymers P(BDT-DBTSOx)(x=7,19,39,and 79)composed of a benzodithiophene(BDT)donor unit and an oligomeric dibenzo[b,d]thiophene sulfone(DBTSO)acceptor segment were synthesized and studied.It was found that the polymer photocatalytic stabilities under full-arc irradiation improved upon shortening the length of the acceptor segment.Under visible light irradiation and in the presence of 3 wt%Pt cocatalyst,P(BDT-DBTSO79)displayed the best performance with an optimal hydrogen evolution rate of 119.3±5.8 mmol·g^(-1)·h^(-1).This is 1.4-fold as that of DBTSO homopolymer and 22.5-fold as that of BDT/DBTSO alternative copolymer,highlighting the importance of acceptor length in D-A structure for achieving high photocatalytic performance.

Recent advances in synthesis strategies and solar-to-hydrogen evolution of 1T phase MS_(2)(M=W,Mo)co-catalysts

Photocatalytic water splitting is a promising strategy to produce hydrogen as a sustainable and clean energy carrier,based on abundant solar energy and semiconductor photocatalysts,and it has received extensive research and discussion over the past several decades.It is challenging,however,to achieve an efficient solar-to-hydrogen evolution process with a single particulate photocatalyst due to the weak solar spectrum harvest and the rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs during the photocatalysis reaction.Combining semiconductors to create different co-catalysts presents a viable solution to the above issues.Recently,semiconductor photocatalysts modified by different transition metal sulfidebased co-catalysts with designed functions,especially in light absorption enhancement and chargecarrier-separation efficiency promotion,have attracted much attention.As continued breakthroughs have been made in the preparation,modification,and solar-to-hydrogen evolution application of the 1T phase MS_(2)(M=W,Mo)co-catalyst-based photocatalysis system in recent years,we believe that a comprehensive review of this kind of co-catalyst would further promote its research and development to address the energy and environmental challenges that we are currently facing.Herein,recent studies and progress are summarized on the fabrication of 1T phase MS_(2)(M=W,Mo)-based co-catalyst materials,as well as their roles and functional mechanisms for photocatalytic H;evolution.Finally,concluding perspectives on the opportunities in and challenges for the further exploration of the 1T-MS_(2)(M=W,Mo)-based solar-tohydrogen evolution system are presented.

Epitaxially Grown Ru Clusters-Nickel Nitride Heterostructure Advances Water Electrolysis Kinetics in Alkaline and Seawater Media

The epitaxial heterostructure can be rationally designed based on the in situ growth of two compatible phases with lattice similarity,in which the modulated electronic states and tuned adsorption behaviors are conducive to the enhancement of electrocatalytic activity.Herein,theoretical simulations first disclose the charge transfer trend and reinforced inherent electron conduction around the epitaxial heterointerface between Ru clusters and Ni_(3)N substrate(cRu-Ni_(3)N),thus leading to the optimized adsorption behaviors and reduced activation energy barriers.Subsequently,the defectrich nanosheets with the epitaxially grown cRu-Ni_(3)N heterointerface are successfully constructed.Impressively,by virtue of the superiority of intrinsic activity and reaction kinetics,such unique epitaxial heterostructure exhibits remarkable bifunctional catalytic activity toward electrocatalytic OER(226 mV@20 mA cm^(−2))and HER(32 mV@10 mA cm^(−2))in alkaline media.Furthermore,it also shows great application prospect in alkaline freshwater and seawater splitting,as well as solar-to-hydrogen integrated system.This work could provide beneficial enlightenment for the establishment of advanced electrocatalysts with epitaxial heterointerfaces.

A high‐performance transition‐metal phosphide electrocatalyst for converting solar energy into hydrogen at 19.6% STH efficiency

The construction of high-efficiency and low-cost non-noble metal bifunctional electrocatalysts for water electrolysis is crucial for commercial large-scale application of hydrogen energy.Here,we report a novel strategy with erbiumdoped NiCoP nanowire arrays in situ grown on conductive nickel foam(Er-NiCoP/NF).Significantly,the developed electrode shows exceptional bifunctional catalytic activity,which only requires overpotentials of 46 and 225 mV to afford a current density of 10 mAcm^(−2) for the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and the oxygen evolution reaction(OER),respectively.Density functional theory calculations reveal that the appropriate Er incorporation into the NiCoP lattice can significantly modulate the electronic structure with the d-band centers of Ni and Co atoms by shifting to lower energies with respect to the Fermi level,and optimize the Gibbs free energies of HER/OER intermediates,thereby accelerating water-splitting kinetics.When assembled as a solar-driven overall water-splitting electrolyzer,the as-prepared electrode shows a high and stable solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 19.6%,indicating its potential for practical storage of intermittent energy.

Recent progress and perspectives on Sb_(2)Se_(3)-based photocathodes for solar hydrogen production via photoelectrochemical water splitting

Photoelectrochemical(PEC) cells involved with semiconductor electrodes can simultaneously absorb solar energy and perform chemical reactions, which are considered as an attractive strategy to produce renewable and clean hydrogen energy. Sb_(2)Se_(3) has been widely investigated in constructing PEC photocathodes benefitting of its low toxicity, suitable band gap, superior optoelectronic properties, and outstanding photocorrosion stability. We first present a brief overview of basic concepts and principles of PEC water splitting as well as a comparison between Sb_(2)Se_(3) and other numerous candidates. Then the material characteristics and preparation methods of Sb_(2)Se_(3) are introduced. The development of Sb_(2)Se_(3)-based photocathodes in PEC water splitting with various architectures and engineering efforts(i.e., absorber engineering, interfaces engineering, co-catalyst engineering and tandem engineering) to improve solar-to-hydrogen(STH) efficiency are highlighted. Finally, we debate the possible future directions to further explore the researching fields of Sb_(2)Se_(3)-based photocathodes with a strongly positive outlook in PEC processed solar hydrogen production.

Reduced Ti-MOFs encapsulated black phosphorus with high stability and enhanced photocatalytic activity

The generation of green hydrogen(H_2) energy is of great significance to solve worldwide energy and environmental issues. Reduced Ti based photocatalyst has recently attracted intensive attention due to its excellent photocatalytic activity, while the synthesis of reduced Ti based photocatalysts with high stability is still a great challenge. Here, we report a facile method for synthesis of reduced Ti metal organic frameworks(small amounts of Pt incorporated) encapsulated BP(BP/R-Ti-MOFs/Pt) hybrid nanomaterial with enhanced photocatalytic activity. The strong interaction between Ti and P reduces the valence state of the binding Ti^(4+)on the BP surface, forming abundant reduced Ti^(4+)within R-Ti-MOFs/BP. Such reduced Ti^(4+)render R-Ti-MOFs/BP efficient charge transfer and excellent light absorption capability, thus promote the photocatalytic H_2 production efficiency. Furthermore, the Ti-P interaction stabilizes both reduced Ti^(4+)and BP during the photocatalytic reaction, which greatly enhanced the stability of the obtained BP/R-TiMOFs/Pt photocatalyst.

Analysis of the factors controlling performances of Au-modified TiO2 nanotube array based photoanode in photo-electrocatalytic(PECa)cells

The efficiency of photo-electrocatalytic(PECa) devices for the production of solar fuels depends on several limiting factors such as light harvesting, charge recombination and mass transport diffusion. We analyse here how they influence the performances in PECa cells having a photo-anode based on Au-modified TiO_2 nanotube(TNT) arrays, with the aim of developing design criteria to optimize the photo-anode and the PECa cell configuration for water photo-electrolysis(splitting) and ethanol photo-reforming processes.The TNT samples were prepared by controlled anodic oxidation of Ti foils and then decorated with gold nanoparticles using different techniques to enhance the visible light response through heterojunction and plasmonic effects. The activity tests were made in a gas-phase reactor, as well as in a PECa cell without applied bias. Results were analysed in terms of photo-generated current, H_2 production rate and photoconversion efficiency. Particularly, a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 0.83% and a Faradaic efficiency of 91%were obtained without adding sacrificial reagents.

Photovoltaic-powered supercapacitors for driving overall water splitting:A dual-modulated 3D architecture

Due to the growing demand for clean and renewable hydrogen fuel,there has been a surge of interest in electrocatalytic water-splitting devices driven by renewable energy sources.However,the feasibility of self-driven water splitting is limited by inefficient connections between functional modules,lack of highly active and stable electrocatalysts,and intermittent and unpredictable renewable energy supply.Herein,we construct a dualmodulated three-dimensional(3D)NiCo_(2)O_(4)@NiCo_(2)S_(4)(denoted as NCONCS)heterostructure deposited on nickel foam as a multifunctional electrode for electrocatalytic water splitting driven by photovoltaic-powered supercapacitors.Due to a stable 3D architecture configuration,abundant active sites,efficient charge transfer,and tuned interface properties,the NCONCS delivers a high specific capacity and rate performance for supercapacitors.A twoelectrode electrolyzer assembled with the NCONCS as both the anode and the cathode only requires a low cell voltage of 1.47 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm^(−2) in alkaline electrolyte,which outperforms the state-of-the-art bifunctional electrocatalysts.Theoretical calculations suggest that the generated heterointerfaces in NCONCS improve the surface binding capability of reaction intermediates while regulating the local electronic structures,which thus accelerates the reaction kinetics of water electrolysis.As a proof of concept,an integrated configuration comprising a two-electrode electrolyzer driven by two series-connected supercapacitors charged by a solar cell delivers a high product yield with superior durability.

Boosting alkaline hydrogen evolution performance by constructing ultrasmall Ru clusters/Na^(+),K^(+)-decorated porous carbon composites

The construction of efficient and durable electrocatalysts with highly dispersed metal clusters and hydrophilic surface for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)remains a great challenge.Herein,we prepared hydrophilic nanocomposites of Ru clusters(~1.30 nm)anchored on Na^(+),K^(+)-decorated porous carbon(Ru/Na^(+),K^(+)-PC)through hydrothermal method and subsequent annealing treatment at 500℃.The Ru/Na^(+),K^(+)-PC exhibits ultralow overpotential of 7 mV at 10 mA·cm^(-2),mass activity of 15.7 A·mgRu^(-1)at 100 mV,and long-term durability of 20,000 cycles potential cycling and 200 h chronopotentiometric measurement with a negligible decrease in activity,much superior to benchmarked commercial Pt/C.Density functional theory based calculations show that the energy barrier of H-OH bond breaking is efficiently reduced due to the presence of Na and K ions,thus favoring the Volmer step.Furthermore,the Ru/Na^(+),K^(+)-PC effectively employs solar energy for obtaining H_(2)in both alkaline water and seawater electrolyzer.This finding provides a new strategy to construct high-performance and cost-effective alkaline HER electrocatalyst.

The InSe/g-CN van der Waals hybrid heterojunction as a photocatalyst for water splitting driven by visible light

Designing and developing the highly efficient photocatalysts is full of significance to achieve spontaneous photolysis water.In this work,using the first-principles calculations,we have performed a systematic theoretical study of water splitting photocatalytic activity of the InS e/g-CN heterojunction.It is concluded that the In Se/g-CN heterojunction is a typical type-II semiconductor,whose electrons and holes can be effectively separated.And the potential of the conduction band minimum(CBM)and valence band maximum(VBM)satisfy the requirements for photolysis water.Moreover,the changes of Gibbs free energy(ΔG)of the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)are calculated to investigate thermodynamic sustainability of photolysis water.The results show that when pH=7,the potential driving force provided by the InSe/g-CN heterojunction can ensure the spontaneous progress of HER and OER.In addition,it is found that the solar conversion efficiency(η;)of the In Se/g-CN heterojunction is up to 13.7%,which indicates it has broad commercial application prospects.Hence,the In Se/g-CN heterojunction is expected to be an excellent candidate for photolysis water.

二维Ⅲ族硫化物Janus多层结构的高效光解水特性:内建电场和空位缺陷效应（英文）

二维范德华材料被广泛用作光分解水催化剂,但其直接的能量转化效率有待提高.因此,寻找具有高效光解水催化特性的二维材料成为理论和实验研究的热点.本文从量子力学第一性原理出发,预言了一类具有高效光解水特性的光催化剂:二维Ⅲ族硫化物Janus多层结构InGaXY,M2XY和InGaX2(M=In/Ga;X,Y=S/Se/Te).理论计算表明,多层材料的内建电场不仅可以促进光生载流子的空间分离,而且可以有效地调控材料能带的位置,提高能量转化效率.Janus多层材料能量转化效率的理论上限可以达到38.5%,接近了理论极限值(47%).更重要的是,在InGaSSe双层引入Ga空位可以有效降低析氢和析氧反应的过电势,仅仅依靠光生载流子提供的电压就可以驱动光解水催化反应.该理论结果不仅预言了二维Ⅲ族硫化物Janus多层材料可以作为高效的光解水催化材料,而且为设计和寻找高效光催化材料提供了新思路.