Interfacial tuning in FeP/ZnIn2S4 Ohm heterojunction: Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production via Zn-P charge bridging

Yingjiaqi Yin; Yan Xu; Huayang Zhang; Hongcen Zheng; Zhe Xu; Chenmin Xu; Gancheng Zuo; Shaogui Yang; Huan He; Yazi Liu

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2024.03.194

Interfacial tuning in FeP/ZnIn₂S₄ Ohm heterojunction: Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production via Zn-P charge bridging

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2024 Jul 15:666:648-658. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.03.194. Epub 2024 Mar 29.

Authors

Yingjiaqi Yin¹, Yan Xu², Huayang Zhang³, Hongcen Zheng⁴, Zhe Xu⁵, Chenmin Xu⁵, Gancheng Zuo⁶, Shaogui Yang⁵, Huan He⁵, Yazi Liu⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Jiangsu Engineering Lab of Water and Soil Eco-Remediation, Nanjing 210023, China.
² Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
³ Chair for Photonics and Optoelectronics, Nano-Institute Munich, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
⁵ School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Jiangsu Engineering Lab of Water and Soil Eco-Remediation, Nanjing 210023, China.
⁶ School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Jiangsu Engineering Lab of Water and Soil Eco-Remediation, Nanjing 210023, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China. Electronic address: zuogc@njnu.edu.cn.
⁷ School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Jiangsu Engineering Lab of Water and Soil Eco-Remediation, Nanjing 210023, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia. Electronic address: yazi.liu@njnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38570207
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.03.194

Abstract

Interfacial regulation is key to photocatalytic performance, yet modulating interfacial charge transfer in heterostructures remains challenging. Herein, a novel nanoflower-like FeP/ZnIn₂S₄ Ohm heterostructure is first designed, with Zn atoms in ZnIn₂S₄ (ZIS) acting as potential anchoring sites around P atoms, forming liganded Zn-P bonds. Combining 1D FeP nanowires and 2D ZIS nanosheets enhances the mobility of photogenerated electrons. The synergistic chain-type "electron pickup" mechanism of the Ohm heterojunction coupled with the Zn-P bond speeds up electron transport at the interface. The Ohm heterojunction initiates an internal electric field, creating a driving force to further transfer photogenerated electrons through the Zn-P rapid electron transport channel to FeP, which acts as a reservoir for active sites to release H₂. The optimized FeP/ZIS demonstrates a remarkable H₂ evolution rate at 4.36 mmol h^-1 g^-1, 3.6 times that of pristine ZIS. This work provides novel insights into optimizing photocarrier dynamics via interfacial microenvironment modulation.

Keywords: FeP; Ohm heterojunction; Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution; Zn-P bond; ZnIn(2)S(4).