Black Phosphorus as Promoter for Noble Metal‐Free Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Abstract

Photocatalysts which are stable to photocorrosion and noble metal‐free, are highly desirable to achieve a light‐driven hydrogen production which satisfies the criteria of low production cost and environmental sustainability. Herein, a new heterostructure TiO2/BP/CoP has been developed, in which the BP nanosheets interact strongly with TiO2 and CoP, speeding up the transfer of photogenerated electrons and thus increasing H2 production. Once BP is added to TiO2 (P25) as only 1 % wt., the H2 evolution rate increases up to 4 times reaching a value of 830 μmol/g ⋅ h under UV‐Vis light irradiation. By integrating CoP nanoparticles as a cocatalyst up to 2 % wt., H2 production is further promoted to 7400 μmol/g ⋅ h, 37 times higher than pristine TiO2. Photoluminescence and electrochemical impedance measurements show that this heterostructure achieves a much more efficient charge separation and reduction of the internal resistance in comparison to pristine TiO2. Combining these data with UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance and Mott‐Schottky, a plausible mechanism was proposed.

Dual-Driven Interfaces of a CoP/CoO Cocatalyst on a Host Photocatalyst for Rapid Charge Transport in Solar-Driven H2 Evolution

“…23,24 Cobalt phosphide (CoP x ) stands out as a promising cocatalyst for photo/electrocatalytic HER owing to its sufficient active sites and nearly metallic properties that enable superior photoelectron capture. 3,25 Reports have confirmed the efficient performance of CoP x , such as Co 2 P/CdZnS, 26 TiO 2 /BP/CoP, 27 Ru-CoP-x/GCN, 28 MoS x /CoP, 29 Cu 3 P@CoP, 30 and CoP/CN. 31 The incorporation of a cocatalyst serves as a potent technique for surface/ interface engineering for enhancing carrier transport and accelerating surface reaction kinetics.…”

“…Cobalt-based cocatalysts, such as metallic cobalt, alloys, oxides, sulfides, phosphides, hydroxides, and organic framework complexes, have been identified as highly desirable alternatives to expensive and environmentally scarce noble metals in energy applications. , Cobalt phosphide (CoP x ) stands out as a promising cocatalyst for photo/electrocatalytic HER owing to its sufficient active sites and nearly metallic properties that enable superior photoelectron capture. , Reports have confirmed the efficient performance of CoP x , such as Co 2 P/CdZnS, TiO 2 /BP/CoP, Ru-CoP- x /GCN, MoS x /CoP, Cu 3 P@CoP, and CoP/CN . The incorporation of a cocatalyst serves as a potent technique for surface/interface engineering for enhancing carrier transport and accelerating surface reaction kinetics.…”

“…The TiO 2 /BP/ CoP composite developed by Provinciali et al exhibits strong interactions between black P, TiO 2 , and CoP, thereby enhancing the transfer of photogenerated electrons and achieving a remarkable H 2 production rate. 27 Yao et al established an intimate interface between CoP and ZnCdS through morphology control, resulting in enhanced electron migration efficiency and achieving robust photocatalytic performance. 32 Li et al effectively achieved rapid electron transfer by introducing B doped g-C 3 N 4 nanodots between CoP in g-C 3 N 4 .…”

Superb Photo-Antibacterial/Antibiofilm Activities of BP/WS2 and BP/MoS2 Nanocomposites under Near-Infrared Irradiation

“…XPS was used to investigate the surface’s chemical composition and the synthesized materials’ chemical environment. XPS analysis of the P 2p region for BP reveals two peaks at 129.6 and 130.3 eV, corresponding to P 2p 1/2 and P 2p 3/2 (Figure a) . Relative to pristine BP, an observable shift toward lower binding energies (BEs) was noted in the P 2p peaks for the binary structures.…”

“…XPS analysis of the P 2p region for BP reveals two peaks at 129.6 and 130.3 eV, corresponding to P 2p 1/2 and P 2p 3/2 (Figure 2a). 37 Relative to pristine BP, an observable shift toward lower binding energies (BEs) was noted in the P 2p peaks for the binary structures. The BE shift toward lower values in the P 2p peaks for the heterojunctions indicates electron transfer from WS 2 /MoS 2 to BP, enhancing electron density on the BP surface.…”