Protected ultrathin cuprous oxide film for photocatalysis: Excitation and relaxation dynamics

h-BN/Metal-Oxide Interface Grown by Intercalation: A Model System for Nano-Confined Catalysis

“…Ultimately, we have provided a recipe along with extensive characterization and modeling for a model-confined “nano-reactor” heterostructure that utilizes cheap and abundant materials and standard gas-phase exposure processes. Several studies promoting the concept of confined catalysis have displayed a change in adsorption energies or diffusion barriers for intercalated species beneath a 2D monolayer. − , This nanoconfinement effect with a h-BN/MOx is rather interesting for oxidation catalysis and potentially can influence the kinetics for reactions like CO oxidation that undergo a Mars–van Krevelen mechanism, for which Cu 2 O surfaces have already been proposed as a promising material. ,, Our group has also looked at time-resolved 2-photon photoemission (2PPE) experiments, highlighting that our confined trilayer oxide displays charge carrier dynamics that are remarkably similar to a bulk (√3 × √3) R 30° Cu 2 O­(111) surface . Further development of the preparation parameters to reduce the number of oxygen vacancy defects in this oxide film may improve the surface quality enough to design a protected photocathode for photoelectrochemical water splitting, as suggested by Mahvash et al…”

“…34,37,88 Our group has also looked at time-resolved 2-photon photoemission (2PPE) experiments, highlighting that our confined trilayer oxide displays charge carrier dynamics that are remarkably similar to a bulk (√3 × √3)R30°Cu 2 O(111) surface. 89 Further development of the preparation parameters to reduce the number of oxygen vacancy defects in this oxide film may improve the surface quality enough to design a protected photocathode for photoelectrochemical water splitting, 89 as suggested by Mahvash et al 38…”