Visible-light deposition of CrO_(x) cocatalyst on TiO_(2):Cr valence regulation for superior photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction to CH_(4)

Photodeposition is widely adopted for implanting metal/metal oxide cocatalysts on semiconductors.However,it is prerequisite that the photon energy should be sufficient to excite the host semiconductor.Here,we report a lower-energy irradiation powered deposition strategy for implanting CrO_(x) cocatalyst on TiO_(2).Excitingly,CrO_(x)-400 implanted under visible-light irradiation significantly promotes the CH4 evolution rate on TiO_(2)to 8.4μmolg·^(-1)h^(-1) with selectivity of98%from photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction,which is 15 times of that on CrO_(x)-200 implanted under UV-visible-light irradiation.Moreover,CrO_(x)-400 is identified to be composed of higher valence Cr species compared to CrO_(x)-200.This valence states regulation of Cr species is indicated to provide more active sites for CO_(2) adsorption/activation and to modulate the reaction mechanism from single Cr site to Cr-Cr dual sites,thus endowing the superior CH_(4)production.This work demonstrates an alternative strategy for constructing efficient metal oxides cocatalysts on wide bandgap semiconductor.

Interface and M^(3+)/M^(2+)Valence Dual-Engineering on Nickel Cobalt Sulfoselenide/Black Phosphorus Heterostructure for Efficient Water Splitting Electrocatalysis

The catalyst innovation that aims at noble-metal-free substitutes is one key aspect for future sustainable hydrogen energy deployment.In this paper,a nickel cobalt sulfoselenide/black phosphorus heterostructure(NiCoSe|S/BP)was fabricated to realize the highly active and durable water electrolysis through interface and valence dual-engineering.The NiCoSe|S/BP nanostructure was constructed by in-situ growing NiCo hydroxide nanosheet arrays on few-layer BP and subsequently one-step sulfoselenization by SeS2.Besides the conductive merit of BP substrate,holes in p-type BP are capable of oxidizing the Co^(2+)to high-valence and electron-accepting Co^(3+),benefiting the oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Meanwhile,Ni^(3+)/Ni^(2+)ratio in the heterostructure is reduced to maintain the electrical neutrality,which corresponds to the increased electron-donating character for boosting hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).As for HER and OER,the heterostructured NiCoSe|S/BP electrocatalyst exhibits small overpotentials of 172 and 285 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)(η_(10))in alkaline media,respectively.And overall water splitting has been achieved at a low cell potential of 1.67 V at η_(10) with high stability.Molecular sensing and density functional theory(DFT)calculations are further proposed for understanding the rate-determine steps and enhanced catalytic mechanism.The investigation presents a deep-seated perception for the electrocatalytic performance enhancement of BP-based heterostructure.