Low
efficient transfer of photogenerated charge carriers to redox
sites along with high surface reaction barrier is a bottleneck problem
of photocatalytic H2O overall splitting. Here, in the absence
of cocatalysts, H2O overall splitting has been achieved
by single-atomic S vacancy hexagonal CdS with a spin polarization
electric field (PEF). Theoretical and experimental results confirm
that single-atomic S vacancy-induced spin PEF with opposite direction
to the Coulomb field accelerates charge carrier transport dynamics
from the bulk phase to surface-redox sites. By systematically tuning
the spin PEF intensity with single-atomic S vacancy content, common
pristine CdS is converted to a photocatalyst that can efficiently
complete H2O overall splitting by releasing a great number
of H2 bubbles under natural solar light. This work solves
the bottleneck of solar energy conversion in essence by single atom
vacancy engineering, which will promote significant photocatalytic
performance enhancement for commercialization.
A g-C3N4 allotrope, a curved
leaf-like graphitic C2N3 (g-C2N3) with an intrinsic spontaneous polarization
electric field (ISPEF), has been constructed for efficient solar energy
conversion into H2 energy via photocatalytic
H2O splitting. The curved leaf-like π-delocalization g-C2N3 was composed of aromatic azide
pentagons and normal triazine hexagons obtained by cycloaddition between
−CN groups from dicyandiamide polymerization and azide
from the heat-treated polypyrrole fibers. Under light irradiation
(λ > 420 nm), photo-generated charges are driven to separate
efficiently and transfer from bulk to active sites of the surface
under ISPEF that is opposite to the Coulomb field. Consequently, without
any cocatalyst, g-C3N4 allotrope
demonstrates a very high H2-production activity of 14.9
mmol g–1 h–1 accompanied by a
lot of H2 bubbles, which is 2.6 times of g-C3N4 loading with Pt. In comparison with the
reported metal-free photocatalysts or those supported with noble metals, g-C3N4 allotrope (i.e., leaf-like g-C2N3) is confirmed
to be the best metal-free photocatalyst for H2O splitting
into H2 fuel so far. The contructed leaf-like g-C2N3 with SPEF supplies a suitable platform
for solar energy conversion into H2 fuel, which actively
contributes to clean energy production.
Low‐energy facets on CdS allomorph junctions with optimal phase ratio are designed to boost charge directional transfer for photocatalytic H2 fuel evolution. Fermi energy level difference between low‐energy facets as driving force promotes electrons directional transfer to hexagonal CdS(102) facet and holes to cubic CdS(111) facet. The optimal allomorphs CdS presents superior photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 32.95 mmol g−1 h−1 with release in a large amount of visible H2 bubbles, which is much higher than single‐phase CdS with high‐energy facets and even supports noble metal photocatalysts. This scientific perspective on low‐energy facets of allomorph junctions with optimal phase ratio breaks the long‐held view of pursuing high‐energy crystal surfaces, which will break the understanding on surface structure crystal facet engineering of photocatalytic materials.
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