Self-induced electron attraction center formation with pyrophosphorylation strategy for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Abstract

An integral approach towards augmenting the performance of photocatalytic hydrogen production lies in the induction of charge transfer mediators within the material matrix itself, thereby facilitating swift and efficient charge transfer processes. Here, CoTiO₃ is induced to grow its electronic attraction center, CoP₃, through a high-temperature phosphatization strategy. CoP₃ acts as the active reduction site for the hydrogen evolution reaction and enhances the photocatalytic performance of the pristine catalyst. Compared with pure CoTiO₃, the PCTO7 hybrid catalyst with the electronic attraction center CoP₃ exhibits a superior photocatalytic performance and good stability. Experimental results show that the hydrogen evolution performance of the PCTO7 hybrid catalyst reaches 56.52 μmol, which is 78 times higher than that of the single catalyst CoTiO₃ (0.72 μmol). These results demonstrate that the hybrid catalyst with the self-induced electronic attraction center has a higher light absorption capacity, faster charge carrier dynamics and improved photogenerated charge carrier separation and transfer than pure CoTiO₃, resulting in excellent redox capability. DFT calculations provide evidence supporting the topological metal properties of CoP₃ as the electron sink center. This study provides a feasible approach for enhancing the photocatalytic performance of a pristine catalyst employing a high-temperature phosphatization-induced electron sink center.