Achievement of visible-light-driven Z-scheme overall water splitting using barium-modified Ta3N5 as a H2-evolving photocatalyst

Yu Qi; Shanshan Chen; Mingrun Li; Qian Ding; Zheng Li; Junyan Cui; Beibei Dong; Fuxiang Zhang; Can Li

doi:10.1039/C6SC02750D

Achievement of visible-light-driven Z-scheme overall water splitting using barium-modified Ta₃N₅ as a H₂-evolving photocatalyst†

Yu Qi,^ab Shanshan Chen,^a Mingrun Li,^a Qian Ding,^ab Zheng Li,^ab Junyan Cui,^ac Beibei Dong,^ab Fuxiang Zhang*^a and Can Li*^a

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* Corresponding authors

^a State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, iChEM, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian, China
E-mail: fxzhang@dicp.ac.cn, canli@dicp.ac.cn
Web: http://canli.dicp.ac.cn

^b University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

^c Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Chemistry of Jilin Province, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China

Abstract

Ta₃N₅ is one of the most promising photocatalyst candidates for solar water splitting, but it still remains challenging to achieve overall water splitting via Ta₃N₅-based photocatalysts regardless of whether it uses a one step or two step method. Here we will address the relatively poor photocatalytic proton reduction of Ta₃N₅ with an effort for the promotion of charge separation via barium modification. One-pot nitridation of barium nitrate-impregnated Ta₂O₅ precursor was adopted here for the synthesis of Ta₃N₅ accompanied with the creation of a Ta₃N₅/BaTaO₂N heterostructure and surface passivation. Due to the synergetic effect of the improved interfacial charge separation and the decreased defect density, the photocatalytic H₂ evolution rate of barium-modified Ta₃N₅ is effectively promoted. Encouraged by this, a visible-light-driven Z-scheme overall water splitting system was successfully constructed by using the barium-modified Ta₃N₅ as a H₂-evolving photocatalyst, together with a PtO_x/WO₃ and IO₃⁻/I⁻ pair as an O₂-evolving photocatalyst and a redox mediator, respectively.

This article is part of the themed collections: In celebration of Kazunari Domen’s 65th birthday, 2018, Global Energy Challenges: Solar Energy, Global Energy Challenges: Hydrogen Energy and Global Energy Challenges: Energy Applications

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C6SC02750D
Article type: Edge Article
Submitted: 22 Jun 2016
Accepted: 18 Aug 2016
First published: 18 Aug 2016
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry

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Chem. Sci., 2017,8, 437-443

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Achievement of visible-light-driven Z-scheme overall water splitting using barium-modified Ta₃N₅ as a H₂-evolving photocatalyst

Y. Qi, S. Chen, M. Li, Q. Ding, Z. Li, J. Cui, B. Dong, F. Zhang and C. Li, Chem. Sci., 2017, 8, 437 DOI: 10.1039/C6SC02750D

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