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Sun M, Xie Y, Huang J, Liu C, Dong Y, Li S, Zeng C. Oxygen-deficient AgIO 3 for efficiently photodegrading organic contaminants under natural sunlight. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 363:121393. [PMID: 38850920 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Defect engineering is regarded as an effective strategy to boost the photo-activity of photocatalysts for organic contaminants removal. In this work, abundant surface oxygen vacancies (Ov) are created on AgIO3 microsheets (AgIO3-OV) by a facile and controllable hydrogen chemical reduction approach. The introduction of surface Ov on AgIO3 broadens the photo-absorption region from ultraviolet to visible light, accelerates the photoinduced charges separation and migration, and also activates the formation of superoxide radicals (•O2-). The AgIO3-OV possesses an outstanding degradation rate constant of 0.035 min-1, for photocatalytic degrading methyl orange (MO) under illumination of natural sunlight with a light intensity is 50 mW/cm2, which is 7 and 3.5 times that of the pristine AgIO3 and C-AgIO3 (AgIO3 is calcined in air without generating Ov). In addition, the AgIO3-OV also exhibit considerable photoactivity for degrading other diverse organic contaminants, including azo dye (rhodamine B (RhB)), antibiotics (sulflsoxazole (SOX), norfloxacin (NOR), chlortetracycline hydrochloride (CTC), tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) and ofloxacin (OFX)), and even the mixture of organic contaminants (MO-RhB and CTC-OFX). After natural sunlight illumination for 50 min, 41.4% of total organic carbon (TOC) for MO-RhB mixed solution can be decreased over AgIO3-OV. In a broad range of solution pH from 3 to 11 or diverse water bodies of MO solution, AgIO3-OV exhibits attractive activity for decomposing MO. The MO photo-degradation process and mechanism over AgIO3-OV under natural sunlight irradiation has been systemically investigated and proposed. The toxicities of MO and its degradation intermediates over AgIO3-OV are compared using Toxicity Estimation Software (T.E.S.T.). Moreover, the non-toxicity of both AgIO3-OV catalyst and treated antibiotic solution (CTC-OFX mixture) are confirmed by E. coli DH5a cultivation test, supporting the feasibility of AgIO3-OV catalyst to treat organic contaminants in real water under natural sunlight illumination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaofei Sun
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Yunchang Xie
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Jiayang Huang
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Chengyin Liu
- School of Environmental and Material Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, China
| | - Yujing Dong
- School of Science and Technology, Xinyang College, Xinyang, 464000, China.
| | - Shijie Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Marine Aquaculture, College of Marine Science and Technology, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022, China.
| | - Chao Zeng
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China.
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2
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Jin J, Liu C, Dai C, Zeng C, Jia Y, Liu X. Boosting the activity for organic pollutants removal of In 2O 3 by loading Ag particles under natural sunlight irradiation. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 251:118649. [PMID: 38458589 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
A novel photocatalyst In2O3 with loading Ag particles is prepared via a facile one-step annealing method in air atmosphere. The Ag/In2O3 exhibits considerable photoactivity for decomposing sulfisoxazole (SOX), tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), and rhodamine B (RhB) under natural sunlight irradiation, which is much higher than that of pristine In2O3 and Ag species. After natural sunlight irradiation for 100 min, 70.6% of SOX, 65.6% of TC, and 81.9% of RhB are degraded over Ag/In2O3, and their corresponding chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal ratio achieve 95.4%, 38.4%, and 93.6%, respectively. A batch of experiments for degrading SOX with adjusting pollutant solution pH and adding coexisting anions over Ag/In2O3 are carried out to estimate its practical application prospect. Particularly, the as-prepared Ag/In2O3 possesses a superior stability, which exhibits no noticeable deactivation in decomposing SOX after eight cycles' reactions. In addition, the Ag/In2O3 coated on a frosted glass plate, also possesses a superior activity and stability for SOX removal, which solve the possible second pollution of residual powdered catalyst in water. Ag particles on In2O3 working as electron accepter improve charge separation and transfer efficiency, as well as the photo-absorption and organic pollutants affinity, leading to the boosted photoactivity of Ag/In2O3. The photocatalytic mechanism for degrading SOX and degradation process over Ag/In2O3 has been systemically investigated and proposed. This work offers an archetype for the rational design of highly efficient photocatalysts by metal loading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Jin
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Chengyin Liu
- School of Environmental and Material Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, Shandong, China
| | - Chunhui Dai
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Chao Zeng
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China.
| | - Yushuai Jia
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China.
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Sun M, Ali S, Liu C, Dai C, Liu X, Zeng C. Synergistic effect of Fe doping and oxygen vacancy in AgIO 3 for effectively degrading organic pollutants under natural sunlight. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 344:123325. [PMID: 38190871 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
In this work, a series of hydrogenated Fe-doped AgIO3 (FAI-x) catalysts are synthesized for photodegrading diverse azo dyes and antibiotics. Under the irradiation of natural sunlight with a light intensity of ∼60 mW/cm2, the optimum FAI-10 exhibits a considerable rate constant for decomposing methyl orange (MO) of 0.067 min-1, about 7.4 times higher than that of AgIO3 (0.009 min-1), and 24.6% and 83.8% of MO can be decomposed over AgIO3 and FAI-10 after irradiation for 40 min. In the amplification photodegradation experiments with using 0.5 g catalyst and 400 mL MO dye solution (10 mg/L), FAI-10 possesses greatly higher photoreactivity to common semiconductors (ZnO, TiO2, In2O3 and Bi2MoO6), and the photodegradation rates over FAI-10 are 92%. Particularly, the FAI-10 shows superior stability, the activity of which remains unaltered after 8 continuous cycles. Foreign ions and water bodies have slight effect on the activity of FAI-10, but the MO degradation rates are decreased by adjusting pH values, especially when pH = 11 because of the strong electrostatic repulsion between MO and FAI-10. FAI-10 can also effectively decompose another azo dye (rhodamine B (RhB)) and diverse antibiotics (sulflsoxazole (SOX), chlortetracycline hydrochloride (CTC), tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) and ofloxacin (OFX)). The activity enhancement mechanism of FAI-10 has been systemically investigated and is ascribed to the promoted photo-absorption, charge separation and transfer efficiency, and affinity of organic pollutants, owing to the synergistic effect of Fe doping and oxygen vacancy (Ov). The photocatalytic mechanisms and process for decomposing MO are verified and proposed based on radical trapping experiments and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). This work opens an avenue for the fabrication of effective photocatalysts toward water purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaofei Sun
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Sajjad Ali
- Energy, Water, and Environment Lab, College of Humanities and Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, 11586, Saudi Arabia
| | - Chengyin Liu
- School of Environmental and Material Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, Shandong, China
| | - Chunhui Dai
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Chao Zeng
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China.
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Bao L, Ren X, Liu C, Liu X, Dai C, Yang Y, Bououdina M, Ali S, Zeng C. Modulating the doping state of transition metal ions in ZnS for enhanced photocatalytic activity. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:11280-11283. [PMID: 37665259 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc03436d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Transition metal ions (M = Ag+, Cu2+, Co2+, and Cr3+) are surface or homogeneously doped into ZnS via facile cation-exchange reaction, and while Ag+ and Cu2+ doping does not induce sulphur vacancies (Vs) or zinc vacancies (VZn), Co2+ and Cr3+ doping induces Vs. The surface doped catalysts exhibit greatly higher activity than the ZnS and homogenous doped catalysts for H2 evolution and CO2 reduction. The important role of the doping state on affecting the photo-absorption, carrier separation efficiency, and photoreaction kinetics has been systemically investigated and proposed. This work sheds light on the future design and fabrication of high-performance photocatalysts by element doping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linping Bao
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, PR China.
| | - Xiaohui Ren
- The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, School of Materials and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, PR China
| | - Chengyin Liu
- School of Environmental and Material Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, PR China
| | - Xin Liu
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, PR China.
| | - Chunhui Dai
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, PR China
| | - Yong Yang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Sensors, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Photoelectronics and Telecommunication, School of Physics, Communication and Electronics, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330022, PR China
| | - Mohamed Bououdina
- Department of Mathematics and Sciences, College of Humanities and Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sajjad Ali
- Energy, Water, and Environment Lab, College of Humanities and Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Chao Zeng
- Institute of Advanced Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, PR China.
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Xue L, Shi Y, Huang C, Wu Q, Chen B, Yao W. Zn and Ni dual hydrogen evolution sites integrated onto CdS for effective photocatalytic hydrogen production. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 635:72-82. [PMID: 36577357 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Effective and affordable photocatalysts play an important role in the cost reduction of solar hydrogen production through photocatalytic water splitting. In this research, a Zn2+ and Ni2+ modified carbon hydrogen evolution cocatalyst (ZnNi-C) were synthesized and immobilized onto the surface of CdS (CdS@ZnNi-C) for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE). The preparation used an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium (EDTA)-assisted method. The hydrogen evolution rate and apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) at 420 nm for an optimized CdS@ZnNi-C photocatalyst are15.7 mmol/h/g and 31.4 %, respectively. The rate is 2.4 times and 3.7 times greater than those of Zn2+ and Ni2+ modified carbon cocatalysts (Zn-C) and (Ni-C) on CdS (CdS@Zn-C) and (CdS@Ni-C), respectively. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the elevated catalytic performance of CdS@ZnNi-C is due to the co-anchored Zn2+ and Ni2+ in carbon layers that lead to a favorable Gibbs free energy (ΔGH*) for hydrogen evolution. This approach is valuable for the design of stable and efficient photocatalysts for renewable hydrogen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Xue
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Protection and Advanced Materials in Electric Power, College of Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Ying Shi
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Protection and Advanced Materials in Electric Power, College of Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Cunping Huang
- Aviation Fuels Research Laboratory, Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center, Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey 08405, United States
| | - Qiang Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Protection and Advanced Materials in Electric Power, College of Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai, PR China.
| | - Bingbing Chen
- School of Energy Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, PR China.
| | - Weifeng Yao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Protection and Advanced Materials in Electric Power, College of Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, PR China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Heat-exchange System and Energy Saving, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai, PR China.
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6
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Wang Y, Liang S, Zuo C, Fang H, Dong G, Sheng X, Wu B, Zhang Y, Zhou Y. Construction of a heterojunction with fast charge transport channels for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via a synergistic strategy of Co-doping and crystal plane modulation. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:5230-5240. [PMID: 36825559 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr00092c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Carrier spatial separation efficiency and active electron density are the key factors affecting photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity. Heterojunction catalysts with fast charge separation and directed electron transport systems were successfully prepared by a synergistic modification strategy of transition metal (Co) doping and crystal plane modulation. The optimized electronic structure and enhanced reaction kinetics enabled unidirectional electron transfer. Photocatalytic results show that CdS(002)/Co-C3N4 exhibits remarkable hydrogen evolution activity (991.2 μmol h-1 g-1) in the absence of a co-catalyst, which is 37.0 and 3.4 times higher than that of C3N4 (26.8 μmol h-1 g-1) and Co-C3N4 (294.6 μmol h-1 g-1), respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the enhanced catalytic activity of CdS(002)/Co-C3N4 is attributed to the reduced electron-hole recombination rate and the increased electron density at the active site. This work provides a new idea for the design of photocatalysts with directed charge transport channels from the perspective of re-optimizing heterojunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyun Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangsu Optoelectronic Functional Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China.
| | - Shuang Liang
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota 55455-0431, USA
| | - Changjiang Zuo
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangsu Optoelectronic Functional Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China.
| | - Hao Fang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangsu Optoelectronic Functional Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China.
| | - Guomeng Dong
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangsu Optoelectronic Functional Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China.
| | - Xiaoli Sheng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangsu Optoelectronic Functional Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China.
| | - Bo Wu
- Multiscale Computational Materials Facility, Key Laboratory of Eco-Materials Advanced Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350100, China.
| | - Yiwei Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangsu Optoelectronic Functional Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China.
| | - Yuming Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Jiangsu Optoelectronic Functional Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Nanjing 211189, P. R. China.
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Li C, Liu X, Ding G, Huo P, Yan Y, Yan Y, Liao G. Interior and Surface Synergistic Modifications Modulate the SnNb 2O 6/Ni-Doped ZnIn 2S 4 S-Scheme Heterojunction for Efficient Photocatalytic H 2 Evolution. Inorg Chem 2022; 61:4681-4689. [PMID: 35258950 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c03936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Interior and surface synergistic modifications can endow the photocatalytic reaction with tuned photogenerated carrier flow at the atomic level. Herein, a new class of 2D/2D SnNb2O6/Ni-doped ZnIn2S4 (SNO/Ni-ZIS) S-scheme heterojunctions is synthesized by a simple hydrothermal strategy, which was used to evaluate the synergy between interior and surface modifications. Theoretical calculations show that the S-scheme heterojunction boosts the desorption of H atoms for rapid H2 evolution. As a result, 25% SNO/Ni0.4-ZIS exhibits significantly improved PHE activity under visible light, roughly 4.49 and 2.00 times stronger than that of single ZIS and Ni0.4-ZIS, respectively. In addition, 25% SNO/Ni0.4-ZIS also shows superior structural stability. This work provides advanced insight for developing high-performance S-scheme systems from photocatalyst design to mechanistic insight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxue Li
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Advanced Chemical Engineering Laboratory of Green Materials and Energy of Jiangsu Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Xiaoteng Liu
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Advanced Chemical Engineering Laboratory of Green Materials and Energy of Jiangsu Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Guixiang Ding
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, China
| | - Pengwei Huo
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Advanced Chemical Engineering Laboratory of Green Materials and Energy of Jiangsu Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Advanced Chemical Engineering Laboratory of Green Materials and Energy of Jiangsu Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Yongsheng Yan
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Advanced Chemical Engineering Laboratory of Green Materials and Energy of Jiangsu Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Guangfu Liao
- Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
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He Y, Ding X, Yang Y, Liu Y, Chen M, Yin Y, Cao D, Yan X. Strategy to Achieve Augmented Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation via Heteroband Structure Engineering and In Situ Interface Activation. Inorg Chem 2022; 61:2351-2359. [PMID: 35044769 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c03774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A simple strategy to achieve remarkable activity of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation is both a critical requirement prior to accelerating the deployment of hydrogen and an important pursuit for renewable solar energy utilization. Despite various ways to improve the PEC performance, laborious fabrication and a statically driven process for water oxidation are still the most challenging tasks. We, herein, demonstrated an extremely simple but extraordinary effective strategy to boost PEC water splitting in a three-dimensional (3D) network structure (Ni foam, i.e., NF)-supported ZnO nanowire (NW)/CdS nanoparticle (NP) (NF/ZnO/CdS) photoelectrode. On the one hand, the establishment and optimization of a heteroband junction between ZnO NWs and CdS NPs substantially reduce the solar energy loss and increase the photocarrier utilization rate at the interface of two phases. On the other hand, the solution flow rotation in the unique macroporous 3D network structure gives rise to obvious piezoelectric (PE) polarization of ZnO located on the skeleton of Ni foam, which can dynamically enforce directional charge transfer. This real-time self-built PE polarization, assisted by the heteroband junction, enables the NF/ZnO/CdS photoanode system to obtain an improved photocurrent density by 12.2-fold compared with pure ZnO (at 1.23 V vs RHE). This work sheds light on an ingenious design strategy for fabricating photoelectrodes that combines a simplified structure and an effectively enhanced water oxidation performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfang He
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P. R. China
| | - Xinran Ding
- Department of Physics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P. R. China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Physics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Department of Physics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P. R. China
| | - Mingming Chen
- Department of Physics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P. R. China
| | - Yin Yin
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P. R. China
| | - Dawei Cao
- Department of Physics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohong Yan
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P. R. China
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