Tuning semiconductor band edge energies for solar photocatalysis via surface ligand passivation

Semiconductor photocatalysts capable of broadband solar photon absorption may be nonetheless precluded from use in driving water splitting and other solar-to-fuel related reactions due to unfavorable band edge energy alignment. Using first-principles density functional theory and beyond, we calculate the electronic structure of passivated CdSe surfaces and explore the opportunity to tune band edge energies of this and related semiconductors via electrostatic dipoles associated with chemisorbed ligands. We predict substantial shifts in band edge energies originating from both the induced dipole at the ligand/CdSe interface and the intrinsic dipole of the ligand. Building on important induced dipole contributions, we further show that, by changing the size and orientation of the ligand's intrinsic dipole moment via functionalization, we can control the direction and magnitude of the shifts of CdSe electronic levels. Our calculations suggest a general strategy for enabling new active semiconductor photocatalysts with both optimal opto-electronic, and photo- and electrochemical properties.