Integrating Zeolite-Type Chalcogenide with Titanium Dioxide Nanowires for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Activity

Abstract

Developing photoanodes with efficient visible-light harvesting and excellent charge separation still remains a key challenge in photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here zeolite-type chalcogenide CPM-121 is integrated with TiO nanowires to form a heterostructured photoanode, in which crystalline CPM-121 particles serve as a visible light absorber and TiO nanowires serve as an electron conductor. Owing to the small band gap of chalcogenides, the hybrid electrode demonstrates obvious absorption in visible-light range. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) shows that electron transport in the hybrid electrode has been significantly facilitated due to the heterojunction formation. A >3-fold increase in photocurrent is observed on the hybrid electrode under visible-light illumination when it is used as a photoanode in a neutral electrolyte without sacrificial agents. This study opens up a new avenue to explore the potential applications of crystalline porous chalcogenide materials for solar-energy conversion in photoelectrochemistry.

Direct observation of charge transfer between molecular heterojunctions based on inorganic semiconductor clusters

“…1,8 The construction of semiconductor heterojunctions with staggered band gap alignment is an effective strategy to promote the separation of photogenerated charge carriers and study charge migration dynamics. [9][10][11][12] However, it remains challenging to achieve the desired charge separation efficiency and deeply understand the charge migration direction based on the information available for conventional semiconductor heterojunctions commonly synthesized by multistep procedures and comprising size-variable interfacial phases with a relatively unclear interface location, complicated interface structures, and randomly positioned dopants (Scheme 1a, b and e).…”

Oxygen Vacancy-Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting of WO3/NiFe-Layered Double Hydroxide Photoanodes

“…Photoelectrochemical (PEC) device for direct water splitting to hydrogen is highly desirable for the increasing demand of renewable energy. − Until now, various photoanodes are explored for PEC water splitting, including TiO 2 , ZnO, BiVO 4 , WO 3 , and hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ). − Among them, WO 3 is considered as a promising candidate due to the suitable band gap (∼2.7 eV), elemental abundance, and nontoxicity. − Nevertheless, pure WO 3 photoanodes still suffer from intrinsic drawbacks, such as the serious recombination of photogenerated carriers and gradual loss of photoactivity. , …”

Heterometallic Actinide‐Containing Photoresponsive Metal‐Organic Frameworks: Dynamic and Static Tuning of Electronic Properties

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] However,u nlocking the full potential of An-MOFs for future applications requires acquiring extensive fundamental knowledge relative to their behavior, which is an imperative first step,and thus,isthe primary focus of the presented studies. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Hierarchical hybrids,s uch as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), allow for performing studies of material properties in astepwise manner by varying one parameter at atime (Scheme 1a). Forinstance,they serve as am ultifaceted platform for the integration of as econd or third metal, guests,o ro rganic linkers through various pathways (e.g.,b ackbone,s ide group,o rc apping linker) with the possibility for complete replacement of one linker by another.…”

“…Exploring optical, catalytic, and electronic properties of actinide‐containing metal‐organic frameworks (An‐MOFs) is paramount to addressing the growing challenge of radioactive waste accumulation [1–10] . However, unlocking the full potential of An‐MOFs for future applications requires acquiring extensive fundamental knowledge relative to their behavior, which is an imperative first step, and thus, is the primary focus of the presented studies [11–22] . Hierarchical hybrids, such as metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), allow for performing studies of material properties in a stepwise manner by varying one parameter at a time (Scheme 1 a).…”