Photoexcited
electron extraction from semiconductors can be useful
for converting solar energy into useful forms of energy. Although
InP quantum dots (QDs) are considered alternative materials for solar
energy conversion, the inherent instability of bare InP QDs demands
the use of passivation layers such as ZnS for practical applications,
which impedes carrier extraction from the QDs. Here, we demonstrate
that Cu-doped InP/ZnS (InP/Cu:ZnS) QDs improve the electron transfer
ability due to hole capture by Cu dopants. Steady-state and time-resolved
photoluminescence studies confirmed that electrons were effectively
transferred from the InP/Cu:ZnS QDs to a benzoquinone acceptor by
retarding the electron–hole recombination within the QD. We
evaluated the photocatalytic H2 evolution performance of
InP/Cu:ZnS QDs under visible light, which showed outstanding photocatalytic
H2 evolution activity and stability under visible light
illumination. The photocatalytic activity was preserved even in the
absence of a cocatalyst.
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