Photocatalytic dehydrogenation of formic acid is a promising strategy for H2 generation. In this work, we report the use of crystalline iron phosphide (FeP) nanoparticles as an efficient and robust cocatalyst on CdS nanorods (FeP@CdS) for highly efficient photocatalytic formic acid dehydrogenation. The optimal H2 evolution rate can reach ∼556 μmol·h–1 at pH 3.5, which is more than 37 times higher than that of bare CdS. Moreover, the photocatalyst demonstrates excellent stability; no significant decrease of the catalytic activity was observed during continuous testing for more than four days. The apparent quantum yield is ∼54% at 420 nm, which is among the highest values obtained using noble-metal-free photocatalysts for formic acid dehydrogenation. This work provides a novel strategy for designing highly efficient and economically viable photocatalysts for formic acid dehydrogenation.

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The colloidal synthesis of functional nanoparticles has gained tremendous scientific attention in the last decades. In parallel to these advancements, another rapidly growing area is the self‐assembly or self‐organization of these colloidal nanoparticles. First, the organization of nanoparticles into ordered structures is important for obtaining functional interfaces that extend or even amplify the intrinsic properties of the constituting nanoparticles at a larger scale. The synthesis of large‐scale interfaces using complex or intricately designed nanostructures as building blocks, requires highly controllable self‐assembly techniques down to the nanoscale. In certain cases, for example, when dealing with plasmonic nanoparticles, the assembly of the nanoparticles further enhances their properties by coupling phenomena. In other cases, the process of self‐assembly itself is useful in the final application such as in sensing and drug delivery, amongst others. In view of the growing importance of this field, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent developments in the field of nanoparticle self‐assembly and their applications. For clarity, the self‐assembled nanostructures are classified into two broad categories: finite clusters/patterns, and infinite films. Different state‐of‐the‐art techniques to obtain these nanostructures are discussed in detail, before discussing the applications where the self‐assembly significantly enhances the performance of the process.

Herein, we present the decoration of NiFeCoAlOOH nanoparticles onto titanium doped nanoporous hematite (Ti-PH) utilizing a simple electroless ligand-controlled oxidation method for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Owing to the improved oxygen evolution reaction kinetics and reduced charge transfer resistance, the resulting Ti-PH/NiFeCoAlOOH photoanode presents an excellent photocurrent density of 2.46 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE and good stability compared to Ti-PH or bare hematite. Furthermore, the onset potential of the photocurrent density is shifted cathodically by ∼60 mV with reference to the titanium doped nanoporous hematite. This work offers a promising method for designing high-performance, stable, and inexpensive catalysts for photoelectrochemical applications.