The particulate catalysts with small particle sizes, such as low-dimensional materials, have difficulty fulfilling the overall photocatalytic water splitting procedure, which could be ascribed to the light penetration effect. Therefore, the band bending of semiconductor photocatalysts is weak, and the photo-Dember effect can hardly be generated. As a result of the built-in electric field, it was difficult for photocarriers to migrate from the interior core to the surface, and the overall photocatalytic water splitting was inefficient.
Recently, a research team led by Prof. Wenfeng Shangguan from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China designed PCN-SrTiO 3 composites with laminated structures. The generation of the N-Sr bond could regulate the built-in electrical field of PCN. As a result, the photocatalytic overall water splitting was achieved. The results were published in Chinese Journal of Catalysis (https://doi.org/10.1016/S1872-2067(23)64414-6).
The research proposed that a series of N-deficient PCN photocatalysts were synthesized using nano polyhedral SrTiO 3 as a platform. The PCN could grow on the surface of SrTiO 3 by the formation of the N–Sr bond The nanoscale lamination effect could be generated by the formation of the N–Sr bond, which could regulate the built-in electric field of the PCN simultaneously. Moreover, detailed characterization indicated that the N–Sr bond, which facilitates the generation of N vacancies in PCN, could act as a novel channel for charge transfer. Both surface and interior core N-deficient PCN have been discovered, resulting in more positive and negative VB positions, respectively. Synchronously, the light absorption ability of the PCN-SrTiO 3 samples increased. Consequently, the enhanced photocatalytic overall water splitting could be ascribed to the synergism of the built-in electric field regulation caused by the N-Sr formation-induced nanoscale lamination effect, which was favorable for energy flow adaption on the spatiotemporal scale.
###
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22102095), the Project of Shanghai Jiao Tong University “Double First‐Class” Construction (WH220545009), the National Key Basic Research and Development Program (2018YFB1502001), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2020M681297).
About the Journal
Chinese Journal of Catalysis is co-sponsored by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Chemical Society, and it is currently published by Elsevier group. This monthly journal publishes in English timely contributions of original and rigorously reviewed manuscripts covering all areas of catalysis. The journal publishes Reviews, Accounts, Communications, Articles, Highlights, Perspectives, and Viewpoints of highly scientific values that help understanding and defining of new concepts in both fundamental issues and practical applications of catalysis. Chinese Journal of Catalysis ranks among the top two journals in Applied Chemistry with a current SCI impact factor of 12.92. The Editors-in-Chief are Profs. Can Li and Tao Zhang.
At Elsevier http://www.journals.elsevier.com/chinese-journal-of-catalysis
Manuscript submission https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/cjcatal
Chinese Journal of Catalysis