Transition <scp>M</scp> etal Nitride‐Bridged All‐Solid‐State Z‐Scheme Heterojunctions for Enhanced Interfacial Charge Transfer and Photocatalysis

Abstract All‐solid‐state Z‐scheme photocatalysts exhibit remarkable potential for enhancing charge transfer dynamics, however, precise regulation of conductive medium distribution at the heterointerface remains challenging. Here, a series of transition metal nitrides (TMNs)‐bridged 1D@2D MO x @MN x /ZnIn 2 S 4 heterojunctions, including WO 3 @W 2 N/ZnIn 2 S 4 (WWZ), TiO 2 @TiN/ZnIn 2 S 4 (TTZ), and Co 3 O 4 @Co 5.47 N/ZnIn 2 S 4 (CCZ) are constructed via an in situ nitridation strategy. Using WWZ as a representative example, the introduction of W 2 N at the interface of WO 3 /ZnIn 2 S 4 (WZ) heterojunction significantly optimizes charge transfer behavior and accelerates carrier dynamics, as confirmed by in situ irradiated X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ISXPS), in situ Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope (FLIM), femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fs‐TA), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Benefiting from the optimized H* adsorption/desorption process enabled by the strengthened built‐in electric field, the WWZ achieves a hydrogen production rate of 8.9 mmol g −1 h −1 . This represents a 20‐fold enhancement compared to pristine ZnIn 2 S 4 (ZIS) and a 9.5‐fold improvement over the WO 3 /ZnIn 2 S 4 composite. This work highlights the crucial role of a strong built‐in electric field and interfacial charge transfer capacity in driving photocatalytic activity, offering new insights for the rational design of all‐solid‐state Z‐scheme heterojunctions.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-09-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202521171
Primary Topic
Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
Type
article
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article

Transition M etal Nitride‐Bridged All‐Solid‐State Z‐Scheme Heterojunctions for Enhanced Interfacial Charge Transfer and Photocatalysis

Quan Manh Phung, Ho Ngoc Nam, Chunyu Yuan, Yongzheng Zhang et al.
Advanced Functional Materials
Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
article

Transition M etal Nitride‐Bridged All‐Solid‐State Z‐Scheme Heterojunctions for Enhanced Interfacial Charge Transfer and Photocatalysis

Quan Manh Phung, Ho Ngoc Nam, Chunyu Yuan, Yongzheng Zhang, Hongfei Yin, Xiang Li, Jing Li, Yue Mao, Dongdong Xiao, Qizhao Wang
article en

Abstract

Abstract All‐solid‐state Z‐scheme photocatalysts exhibit remarkable potential for enhancing charge transfer dynamics, however, precise regulation of conductive medium distribution at the heterointerface remains challenging. Here, a series of transition metal nitrides (TMNs)‐bridged 1D@2D MO x @MN x /ZnIn 2 S 4 heterojunctions, including WO 3 @W 2 N/ZnIn 2 S 4 (WWZ), TiO 2 @TiN/ZnIn 2 S 4 (TTZ), and Co 3 O 4 @Co 5.47 N/ZnIn 2 S 4 (CCZ) are constructed via an in situ nitridation strategy. Using WWZ as a representative example, the introduction of W 2 N at the interface of WO 3 /ZnIn 2 S 4 (WZ) heterojunction significantly optimizes charge transfer behavior and accelerates carrier dynamics, as confirmed by in situ irradiated X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ISXPS), in situ Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope (FLIM), femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fs‐TA), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Benefiting from the optimized H* adsorption/desorption process enabled by the strengthened built‐in electric field, the WWZ achieves a hydrogen production rate of 8.9 mmol g −1 h −1 . This represents a 20‐fold enhancement compared to pristine ZnIn 2 S 4 (ZIS) and a 9.5‐fold improvement over the WO 3 /ZnIn 2 S 4 composite. This work highlights the crucial role of a strong built‐in electric field and interfacial charge transfer capacity in driving photocatalytic activity, offering new insights for the rational design of all‐solid‐state Z‐scheme heterojunctions.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 36(14)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Qufu Normal University (CN), Chizhou University (CN), Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (CN), Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (CN), Institute of Physics (CN), Nagoya University (JP), Northwest Normal University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 83%
Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
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