Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a promising approach for solar-driven hydrogen production with zero emissions, and it has been intensively studied over the past decades. However, the solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiencies of the current PEC systems are still far from the 10% target needed for practical application. The development of efficient photoelectrodes in PEC systems holds the key to achieving high STH efficiencies. In recent years, crystal facet engineering has emerged as an important strategy in designing efficient photoelectrodes for PEC water splitting, which has yet to be comprehensively reviewed and is the main focus of this article. After the Introduction, the second section of this review concisely introduces the mechanisms of crystal facet engineering. The subsequent section provides a snapshot of the unique facet-dependent properties of some semiconductor crystals including surface electronic structures, redox reaction sites, surface built-in electric fields, molecular adsorption, photoreaction activity, photocorrosion resistance, and electrical conductivity. Then, the methods for fabricating photoelectrodes with faceted semiconductor crystals are reviewed, with a focus on the preparation processes. In addition, the notable advantages of the crystal facet engineering of photoelectrodes in terms of light harvesting, charge separation and transfer, and surface reactions are critically discussed. This is followed by a systematic overview of the modification strategies of faceted photoelectrodes to further enhance the PEC performance. The last section summarizes the major challenges and some invigorating perspectives for future research on crystal facet engineered photoelectrodes, which are believed to play a vital role in promoting the development of this important research field.

Crystal facet engineering of photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Solar-to-chemical energy conversion for the generation of high-energy chemicals is one of the most viable solutions to the quest for sustainable energy resources. Although long dominated by inorganic semiconductors, organic polymeric photocatalysts offer the advantage of a broad, molecular-level design space of their optoelectronic and surface catalytic properties, owing to their molecularly precise backbone. In this Review, we discuss the fundamental concepts of polymeric photocatalysis and examine different polymeric photocatalysts, including carbon nitrides, conjugated polymers, covalent triazine frameworks and covalent organic frameworks. We analyse the photophysical and physico-chemical concepts that govern the photocatalytic performance of these materials, and derive design principles and possible future research directions in this emerging field of ‘soft photocatalysis’. In this Review, the authors analyse the fundamental concepts that govern the photocatalytic performance of organic polymer photocatalysts and discuss the challenges and future of the field of ‘soft photocatalysis’.

/pdf/polymer-photocatalysts-for-solar-to-chemical-energy-4g5vr5tu26.pdf

Polymer photocatalysts for solar-to-chemical energy conversion

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is an attractive photocatalyst which has appealing visible light absorption, outstanding layered porous structure, high stability and nontoxicity. Many experimental methods have been developed to modify the pristine g-C3N4 and enhanced photocatalytic activities have been witnessed. First-principle calculation based on density functional theory is an effective approach to investigate the structural, electronic, optical and thermodynamic properties of molecules and crystals, which provides important information to elucidate the improved photocatalytic activity of modified g-C3N4 at atomic or unit-cell levels, or even further, to predict the property and photocatalytic activity of experimentally un-synthesized g-C3N4-based photocatalysts. This review is dedicated to this important material, i.e. tri-s-triazine-based g-C3N4 and summarized a panorama of the major advances in the first-principle investigation. The existing challenges and future directions at the forefront of this emerging research hotpot have also been discussed.

First-principle calculation study of tri- s -triazine-based g-C 3 N 4 : A review

Photocatalytic application of spinel ferrite nanoparticles and nanocomposites in wastewater treatment: Review

Sulfur-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets with carbon vacancies: General synthesis and improved activity for simulated solar-light photocatalytic nitrogen fixation

Adsorption of H 2 O, H 2 , O 2 , CO, NO, and CO 2 on graphene/g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposite investigated by density functional theory

In situ synthesis of rice-like ZnGa2O4 for the photocatalytic removal of organic and inorganic pollutants

The optical properties and condensation degree (structure) of polymeric g-C3N4 depend strongly on the process temperature. For polymeric g-C3N4, its structure and condensation degree depend on the structure of molecular strand(s). Here, the formation and electronic structure properties of the g-C3N4 nanoribbon are investigated by studying the polymerization and crystallinity of molecular strand(s) employing first-principle density functional theory. The calculations show that the width of the molecular strand has a significant effect on the electronic structure of polymerized and crystallized g-C3N4 nanoribbons, a conclusion which would be indirect evidence that the electronic structure depends on the structure of g-C3N4. The edge shape also has a distinct effect on the electronic structure of the crystallized g-C3N4 nanoribbon. Furthermore, the conductive band minimum and valence band maximum of the polymeric g-C3N4 nanoribbon show a strong localization, which is in good agreement with the quasi-monomer characters. In addition, molecular strands prefer to grow along the planar direction on graphene. These results provide new insight on the properties of the g-C3N4 nanoribbon and the relationship between the structure and properties of g-C3N4.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-648X/aab2ca/pdf

Exploring the formation and electronic structure properties of the g-C3N4 nanoribbon with density functional theory.

Effects of the redox group of carbazole-EDOT derivatives on their electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical properties

Interfacial issues, such as the interfacial structure and the interdiffusion of atoms at the interface, are fundamental to the understanding of the ignition and reaction mechanisms of nanothermites. This study employs first-principle density functional theory to model Al/MoO3 by placing an Al adatom onto a unit cell of a MoO3(010) slab, and to probe the initiation of interfacial interactions of Al/MoO3 nanothermite by tracking the adsorption and subsurface-penetration of the Al adatom. The calculations show that the Al adatom can spontaneously go through the topmost atomic plane (TAP) of MoO3(010) and reach the 4-fold hollow adsorption-site located below the TAP, with this subsurface adsorption configuration being the most preferred one among all plausible adsorption configurations. Two other plausible configurations place the Al adatom at two bridge sites located above the TAP of MoO3(010) but the Al adatom can easily penetrate below this TAP to a relatively more stable adsorption configuration, with a small energy barrier of merely 0.2 eV. The evidence of subsurface penetration of Al implies that Al/MoO3 likely has an interface with intermixing of Al, Mo and O atoms. These results provide new insights on the interfacial interactions of Al/MoO3 and the ignition/combustion mechanisms of Al/MoO3 nanothermites.

Al atom on MoO3(010) surface: adsorption and penetration using density functional theory.

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