A coating strategy to achieve effective local charge separation for photocatalytic coevolution
Tianshuo Zhao, Rito Yanagi, Yijie Xu, Yulian He, Yuqi Song, Meiqi Yang, Shu Hu
Abstract
Significance Particulate photocatalysis is a promising approach to solar fuels production at scale. Herein, we present a general design by using conformal coatings and attaching nanoscale cocatalysts to achieve local charge separation and, at the same time, to stabilize photocatalysts that are easily photocorroded otherwise. With spatial charge separation, the nanometer-spaced reductive and oxidative surface sites can coevolve to produce H 2 and O 2 , or to produce H 2 and oxidize redox mediators, or to produce O 2 and reduce redox mediators. This work investigates the charge separation strategy for the semiconductor/coating/cocatalyst structure both by tuning barrier height energetics and by building numerical models.