Films or powders of hybrid methylammonium copper halide perovskite exhibit photocatalytic activity for overall water splitting in the vapor phase in the absence of any sacrificial agent, resulting in the generation of H2 and O2, reaching a maximum production rate of 6 μmol H2 × g cat-1h-1 efficiency. The photocatalytic activity depends on the composition, degreasing all inorganic Cs2CuCl2Br2 perovskite and other Cl/Br proportions in the methylammonium hybrids. XRD indicates that MA2CuCl2Br2 is stable under irradiation conditions in agreement with the linear H2 production with the irradiation time. Similar to copper analogue, hybrid methylammonium lead halide perovskites also promote the overall photocatalytic water splitting, but with four times less efficiency than the Cu analogues. The present results show that, although moisture is strongly detrimental to the photovoltaic applications of hybrid perovskites, it is still possible to use these materials as photocatalysts for processes requiring moisture due to the lack of relevance in the photocatalytic processes of interparticle charge migration.
Keywords: hybrid perovskite; hydrogen production; photocatalysis; water splitting.