Hetero-phase dendritic elemental phosphorus for visible light photocatalytic hydrogen generation

Authors：Wu, Chunxiao; Zhu, Ruixue; Teoh, Wey Yang; Liu, Yuxi; Deng, Jiguang; Dai, Hongxing; Jing, Lin^*; Ng, Yun Hau^*; Yu, Jimmy C.^*

Source：Applied Catalysis B: Environmental , 2022, 312: 121428.

DOI：10.1016/j.apcatb.2022.121428

• Red phosphorus
• Elemental photocatalyst
• Hetero-phase
• Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

We demonstrate a carefully tailored elemental red phosphorus (red P) for a record-high photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 1280 mu mol g(-1 )h(-1). This performance has even surpassed some of the established compound photocatalysts. Systematic studies reveal that the bismuth-catalyzed selective growth of the preferential crystal phases of red P leads to the formation of fibrous and Hittorf's phases at distinctive sites within the same pho-tocatalyst particle of dendritic morphology: nanobranches of fibrous phase and main stems of Hittorf's phase. As each crystal phase possesses unique band energy potential, the intimate heterojunction between the two phases affords an effective built-in driving force for the efficient transportation of photoexcited charge carriers with suppressed charge trapping and recombination. The strategy in crystal phase engineering of red P as well as the understanding of its charge transportation properties in this work provides new insights into developing favorable elemental P-based materials for various photocatalytic applications.

• Institution
  北京工业大学