Enhanced Stability and Charge Separation of InP by Assembling Al2O3 and Metallic Al for Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting
Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water is a sustainable approach to producing clean energy and promoting sustainable development. However, the low efficiency of photocatalysts under visible light and even near-infrared irradiation remains the current bottleneck in photocatalytic overall water splitting (POWS). Herein, we introduce an Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/InP/Al photocatalyst with high efficiency and stability, which achieved an apparent quantum efficiency of 0.97% at 500 nm and operated for 10 h without significant performance decay. The high quantum efficiency and stability are attributed to the combination of the electron-rich Al reflective layer and Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> protective layer coating, which synergistically facilitate charge separation. Additionally, the newly generated O<sub>2</sub> from water over the Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/InP/Al photocatalyst was removed under reduced pressure, thus inhibiting InP photocorrosion and enabling POWS under visible light irradiation. This study offers valuable insights for the development of efficient solar photocatalysts for water splitting.
Authors
- Xiaofeng Ning
- Zhiquan Yin
- Wenlong Zhen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9254-1853)
- Zhengzhi Han
- Gongxuan Lu
Institutions
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Molecules
- Published
- 2025-09-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30183822
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.36
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- National Key Research and Development Program of China