P-Type AsP Nanosheet as an Electron Donor for Stable Solar Broad-Spectrum Hydrogen Evolution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Photocatalysis
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Mimicking natural photosynthesis for solar-to-fuel conversion faces challenges in broadband spectral response, material stability, and suitable band positions.
• Developing efficient electron donors and catalysts is crucial for advancing solar fuel production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report novel P-type semiconducting AsP nanosheets (NSs) as stable, near-infrared (NIR) region-responsive electron donors for hydrogen (H2) production.
• To construct a ternary heterojunction mimicking Photosystem I for enhanced solar energy conversion.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of AsP nanosheets (NSs) with a P-type semiconducting property and a negative conduction band.
• Assembly of Au nanorods (NRs) as electron transport media and 1T-MoS2 NSs as hydrogen evolution catalysts with AsP NSs.
• Utilizing electrostatic self-assembly to create a sheet-rod-sheet ternary heterojunction (MoS2-Au-AsP).

Main Results:

• The MoS2-Au-AsP ternary heterojunction demonstrated a cascaded band level alignment facilitating unidirectional electron flow.
• Achieved an optimal H2 production rate of 125.52 μmol g-1 h-1.
• The material exhibited good stability, maintaining performance after several months of storage under NIR light irradiation (>700 nm).

Conclusions:

• AsP NSs serve as effective NIR-responsive electron donors for stable hydrogen production.
• The developed ternary heterojunction provides a promising platform for broad-spectrum solar fuel generation, including CO2 reduction and N2 fixation.
• This research offers a new avenue for designing advanced photocatalytic systems for renewable energy applications.