Mimicking Photosynthesis: A Natural Z‐Scheme Photocatalyst Constructed from Red Mud Bauxite Waste for Overall Water Splitting
Xuelian Yu, Jian Xu, Jiangpeng Wang, Jinyu Qiu, Xiaoqiang An, Zhuan Wang, Guocheng Lv, Libing Liao, Jinhua Ye
Abstract
Abstract All‐solid‐state Z‐Scheme photocatalysts have attracted significant attention due to their great potential for solar fuel production. However, delicately coupling two individual semiconductors with a charge shuttle by a material strategy remains a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate a new protocol of natural Z‐Scheme heterostructures by strategically engineering the component and interfacial structure of red mud bauxite waste. Advanced characterizations elucidated that the hydrogen‐induced formation of metallic Fe enabled the effective Z‐Scheme electron transfer from γ‐Fe 2 O 3 to TiO 2 , leading to the significantly boosted spatial separation of photo‐generated carriers for overall water splitting. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first Z‐Scheme heterojunction based on natural minerals for solar fuel production. Thus our work provides a new avenue toward the utilization of natural minerals for advanced catalysis applications.