Issue 7, 2022

CIS QDs nucleated on oxygen vacancy rich BOI microplates: a hybrid photocatalyst with enhanced green energy production via mediator free Z-scheme dynamics

Abstract

Designing a promising and environmentally benign semiconductor photocatalyst for photocatalytic H2 and O2 production with a benchmark solar to chemical energy conversion efficiency is a challenging task. In this regard, CuInS2 (CIS) quantum dots (QDs) coupled with oxygen vacancy rich BiOI (BOI) microplates (MPs) were fabricated via an in situ reflux technique, resulting in the formation of a CIS–BOI heterostructure. Additionally, the oxygen vacancies (Ov) in the binary hybrid, as evidenced from Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses, play a vital role in enhancing the water splitting reaction via a lower activation energy barrier. Further, the nucleation of OD CIS QDs on the 2D BOI MPs resulted in strong interfacial contact, encouraging effective exciton separation that resulted in improved water-splitting activity. The 15% CIS–BOI composite shows tremendous improvement in H2 and O2 production activity, i.e., 615.5 μmol h−1 (ACE = 9.84%) and 570.8 μmol h−1 (ACE = 9.16%) with 9.44 × 1016 and 8.76 × 1016 number of H2 and O2 molecules per s, respectively. This increment can be attributed to mediator-free Z-scheme charge transfer dynamics, where highly reducing electrons reside on the CIS QDs and powerful oxidizing holes are present on the BOI surface. This investigation gives a new perspective on designing cocatalyst free, direct Z-scheme oriented oxygen vacancy rich hybrid systems for photocatalytic water redox reactions.

Graphical abstract: CIS QDs nucleated on oxygen vacancy rich BOI microplates: a hybrid photocatalyst with enhanced green energy production via mediator free Z-scheme dynamics

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
17 Febr. 2022
Accepted
25 Maijs 2022
First published
13 Jūn. 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Energy Adv., 2022,1, 422-437

CIS QDs nucleated on oxygen vacancy rich BOI microplates: a hybrid photocatalyst with enhanced green energy production via mediator free Z-scheme dynamics

D. Prusty, S. Mansingh and K. M. Parida, Energy Adv., 2022, 1, 422 DOI: 10.1039/D2YA00046F

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