A Multiple Structure-Design Strategy towards Ultrathin Niobate Perovskite Nanosheets with Thickness-Dependent...

Hydrogen production by catalytic water splitting using sunlight holds great promise for clean and sustainable energy source. Despite the efforts made in the past decades, challenges still exist in pursuing solid catalysts with light-harvesting capacity, large surface areas and efficient utilities of the photogenerated carrier, at the same time. Here, a multiple structure design strategy leading to highly enhanced photocatalytic performance on hydrogen production from water splitting in Dion-Jacobson perovskites KCa₂ Na_n-3 Nb_n O_3n+1 is described. Specifically, chemical doping (N/Nb⁴⁺ ) of the parent oxides via ammoniation improved the ability of sunlight harvesting efficiently; subsequent liquid exfoliation of the doped perovskites yielded ultrathin [Ca₂ Na_n-3 Nb_n O_3n+1 ]^- nanosheets with greatly increased surface areas. Significantly, the maximum hydrogen evolution appears in the n=4 nanosheets, which suggests the most favorable thickness for charge separation in such perovskite-type catalysts. The optimized black N/Nb⁴⁺ -[Ca₂ NaNb₄ O₁₃ ]^- nanosheets show greatly enhanced photocatalytic performance, as high as 973 μmol h^-1 with Pt loading, on hydrogen evolution from water splitting. As a proof-of-concept, this work highlights the feasibility of combining various chemical strategies towards better catalysts and precise thickness control of two-dimensional materials.