Hunting for high-performance photocatalysts to achieve
efficient
solar conversion is still far from ideal goals. Here, a kind of Janus
structure, ASSiN2 (A = Cr, Mo, W) monolayers, is first
proposed to explore their photocatalytic activity using the first-principles
calculations. It is found that the Janus ASSiN2 monolayers
are structurally stable and exhibit semiconductor behaviors with indirect
bandgaps of 1.47, 2.86, and 3.02 eV, respectively. According to the
comprehensive analysis of charge density difference, it is confirmed
that an enhanced intrinsic electric field exists in the Janus structures,
which could facilitate the separation of photogenerated carriers.
Noteworthily, only the band-edge potentials of the WSSiN2 monolayer fully satisfy the redox conditions of photocatalytic water
splitting. Meanwhile, the high electron mobility up to 1098.36 cm2·V–1·s–1 and
strong visible-light absorption ability can be obtained in the WSSiN2 monolayer, indicating its great application potential in
photocatalysis. The findings will offer reliable evidence for further
developing 2D Janus materials as high-performance photocatalysts.
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