Confinement of CsPbBr₃ Perovskite Nanocrystals into Extra‐large‐pore Zeolite for Efficient and Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract

Metal halide perovskites hold significant promise as photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction. However, the low stability and insufficient exposure of active sites impair their catalytic efficiency. Herein, we utilized an extra‐large‐pore zeolite ZEO‐1 as a host to confine and stabilize the CsPbBr3 nanocrystals for boosting hydrogen iodide splitting. The as‐prepared CsPbBr3@ZEO‐1 featured sufficiently exposed active sites, superior stability, along with extra‐large pores of ZEO‐1 that were favorable for adsorption and diffusion. Most importantly, the unique nanoconfinement effect of ZEO‐1 led to the narrowing of the band gap of CsPbBr3, allowing for more efficient light utilization. As a result, the photocatalytic HER rate of the as‐prepared CsPbBr3@ZEO‐1 photocatalyst was increased to 1734 μmol·h‐1·g‐1, and the long‐term stability. Furthermore, Pt was incorporated with well‐dispersed CsPbBr3 nanocrystals into ZEO‐1, resulting in a significant enhancement in activity. Further investigation revealed that the boosted photocatalytic performance of Pt/CsPbBr3@ZEO‐1 could be attributed to the promotion of charge separation and transfer, as well as to the substantially lowered energy barrier for HER. This work highlights the advantage of extra‐large‐pore zeolites as the nanoscale platform to accommodate multiple photoactive components, opening up promising prospects in the design and exploitation of novel zeolite‐confined photocatalysts for energy harvesting and storage.