Heterojunction Photocatalysts

Abstract

Semiconductor-based photocatalysis attracts wide attention because of its ability to directly utilize solar energy for production of solar fuels, such as hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels and for degradation of various pollutants. However, the efficiency of photocatalytic reactions remains low due to the fast electron-hole recombination and low light utilization. Therefore, enormous efforts have been undertaken to solve these problems. Particularly, properly engineered heterojunction photocatalysts are shown to be able to possess higher photocatalytic activity because of spatial separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Here, the basic principles of various heterojunction photocatalysts are systematically discussed. Recent efforts toward the development of heterojunction photocatalysts for various photocatalytic applications are also presented and appraised. Finally, a brief summary and perspectives on the challenges and future directions in the area of heterojunction photocatalysts are also provided.

Same titanium glycolate precursor but different products: successful synthesis of twinned anatase TiO2 nanocrystals with excellent solar photocatalytic hydrogen evolution capability

“…The promoted photocurrent response of the sample indicates higher efficiency and lower recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs in the twinned anatase TiO 2 nanocrystals. 45,46 Fig. 11b shows the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) Nyquist plots of the as-prepared three kinds of TiO 2 photocatalysts.…”

Hierarchical Nanostructures: Design for Sustainable Water Splitting

“…The enhancement effects of using hierarchical nanostructures have also been widely reported. [8,[186][187][188][189][190][191][192][193][194] It is hard to choose a champion device as different devices may have their own enhancement mechanisms. After introducing various synthesis techniques in the previous section, here we will focus more on the device structure and the performance-enhancement mechanisms.…”

Exploration of Zr–Metal–Organic Framework as Efficient Photocatalyst for Hydrogen Production

“…So far, various photocatalysts have been developed for H 2 production, for instance, metal oxide (TiO 2 [5][6][7], NiO [8], CuO [9]), metal sulfide (CdS [10], CuS [11], NiS [12], MoS [13,14]), and nitride semiconductors (C 3 N 4 ) [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. Recently, Yu and coworkers have made a systematic analysis of the heterojunction photocatalysts, which provides an important reference for the subsequent photocatalytic research [23]. Furthermore, some phosphorus such as CoP [24,25], Ni 2 P [26], Cu 3 P [27], and MoP [28] have been employed for H 2 production.…”