Engineering Exciton–Phonon Interactions for Suppressing Nonradiative Energy Loss in Energy-Transfer-Initiated Photocatalysis

Abstract

The prevalent excitonic effects in low-dimensional semiconductors enable energy-transfer-initiated photocatalytic solar-to-chemical energy utilization. However, the general strong interactions between excitons and lattice vibrations in these low-dimensional systems lead to robust nonradiative energy loss, which inevitably sets up obstacles to photocatalytic performance of energy-transfer-initiated reactions. Herein, we highlight the crucial role of engineering exciton-phonon interactions in suppressing nonradiative energy losses in low-dimensional semiconductor-based photocatalysts. By taking bismuth oxybromide (BiOBr) as an example,

Interior Exciton Extraction by Spatial-Controlled Iodine Doping in BiOBr Photocatalysts

“…The phosphorescence emission spectrum (recorded at 10 ms delay time) of BiOBr presents major signal peaking around 500 and 570 nm, coinciding with our previous reports. 9,36,37 In comparison with the fluorescence spectral profile (Figure 3d), the proportion of 570 nm emission in the whole phosphorescence decreases obviously, implying the deficient relaxation from free to self-trapped exciton states. As for the BiOBr-I sample, a remarkable phosphorescence emission (Figures 3e and S17) could be observed, whose spectral lineshape is nearly identical with that of fluorescence emission.…”

Catalysis for an electrified chemical production

“…Engineering the exciton-phonon interactions allows for controlling photocatalysis in bismuth oxybromide [131]. Luo et al [132] discussed how hot carriers and phonon modes act in concert to contribute to the photocatalysis reaction mechanisms.…”