Photocatalytic Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution Performed by a Long-Afterglow Material

Abstract

A micron-sized long-afterglow material, Sr 2 MgSi 2 O 7 :Eu,Ce, was utilized to conduct the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, two half-reactions of water splitting, in the presence of sacrificial agents under both light and dark conditions for the first time. The as-synthesized Sr 2 MgSi 2 O 7 :Eu,Ce exhibited higher photocatalytic activity compared to that of the referenced Sr 2 MgSi 2 O 7 :Eu and Sr 2 MgSi 2 O 7 :Ce samples. Herein, in addition to benefiting from the long photogenerated carrier lifetime of long-afterglow materials, the higher photocatalytic activity was attributed to the conjugated electronic structure between Eu and Ce ions. This structure facilitates charge and energy transfer between them, leading to an enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. This research provides a new strategy for designing efficient long-afterglow material photocatalysts through the construction of conjugated electronic structures.

Hf-Doped CoP Hollow Nanocubes as High-Performance Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

“…CoP with a hollow structure attracted more research interest because of its good catalytic activity and durability. Meanwhile, addressing the instability of transition metals (e.g., Fe, Ni, and Mn) in alkaline conditions, we explore the early transition metals (Hf) as modifiers, which have excellent stability in strong alkaline. , However, the atomic radius, electronic structure, and coordination environment of Hf 4+ are far from those common transition-metal atoms such as Co and Fe, and doping Hf 4+ in a Co-based compound is tough.…”