Direct Z-Scheme Hetero-phase Junction of Black/Red Phosphorus for Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Abstract

Black phosphorus (BP) has recently drawn attention in photocatalysis for its optical properties. However, limited by the rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers, the use of BP for photocatalytic water splitting still remains a huge challenge. Herein, we prepare a black/red phosphorus (BP/RP) hetero-phase junction photocatalyst by a wet-chemistry method to promote the interfacial charge separation and thus achieve Z-scheme photocatalytic water splitting without using sacrificial agents. The Z-scheme mechanism was confirmed by time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. This work provides a novel insight into the interface design of hetero-phase junction with atomic precision.

Keywords: Z-scheme; black phosphorus; phase junction; photocatalysis; water splitting.