Photocatalytic water splitting by N-TiO2 on MgO (111) with exceptional quantum efficiencies at elevated temperatures

Yiyang Li, Yung-Kang Peng, Liangsheng Hu, Jianwei Zheng, Dharmalingam Prabhakaran, Simson Wu, Timothy J. Puchtler, Mo Li, Kwok-Yin Wong, Robert A. Taylor and Shik Chi Edman Tsang ()
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Yiyang Li: University of Oxford
Yung-Kang Peng: University of Oxford
Liangsheng Hu: University of Oxford
Jianwei Zheng: University of Oxford
Dharmalingam Prabhakaran: University of Oxford
Simson Wu: University of Oxford
Timothy J. Puchtler: University of Oxford
Mo Li: University of Oxford
Kwok-Yin Wong: Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Robert A. Taylor: University of Oxford
Shik Chi Edman Tsang: University of Oxford

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Photocatalytic water splitting is attracting enormous interest for the storage of solar energy but no practical method has yet been identified. In the past decades, various systems have been developed but most of them suffer from low activities, a narrow range of absorption and poor quantum efficiencies (Q.E.) due to fast recombination of charge carriers. Here we report a dramatic suppression of electron-hole pair recombination on the surface of N-doped TiO2 based nanocatalysts under enhanced concentrations of H+ and OH−, and local electric field polarization of a MgO (111) support during photolysis of water at elevated temperatures. Thus, a broad optical absorption is seen, producing O2 and H2 in a 1:2 molar ratio with a H2 evolution rate of over 11,000 μmol g−1 h−1 without any sacrificial reagents at 270 °C. An exceptional range of Q.E. from 81.8% at 437 nm to 3.2% at 1000 nm is also reported.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12385-1

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