Issue 8, 2022

2D material based heterostructures for solar light driven photocatalytic H2 production

Abstract

Photocatalytic H2 production using solar energy has long been considered as a promising solution for renewable energy production to solve energy crisis and environmental issues. 2D materials with unique layered structures and electronic properties have led to considerable breakthroughs in energy fields. By constructing heterostructures to facilitate solar light absorption and charge transfer and separation, the photocatalytic activity of 2D materials can be highly boosted. In this review, we summarize recent progress in 2D material based heterostructures for solar light driven photocatalytic H2 production, including black phosphorus (BP), g-C3N4 (CN), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), layered double hydroxides (LDHs), MXenes, and other emerging 2D materials. We provide a fundamental understanding of the functions of various heterojunctions due to their enhanced photocatalytic activity. The band alignments of different heterojunctions with enhanced visible light absorption and improved charge transfer in terms of water splitting reaction are specially discussed. Finally, the existing challenges and prospects of the practical application of 2D material-based heterostructures in photocatalytic H2 production are presented.

Graphical abstract: 2D material based heterostructures for solar light driven photocatalytic H2 production

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
18 Feb 2022
Accepted
21 Mar 2022
First published
22 Mar 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Mater. Adv., 2022,3, 3389-3417

2D material based heterostructures for solar light driven photocatalytic H2 production

Y. Wang, Z. Ding, N. Arif, W. Jiang and Y. Zeng, Mater. Adv., 2022, 3, 3389 DOI: 10.1039/D2MA00191H

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