Boosted photocatalytic hydrogen production over two-dimensional/two-dimensional Ta₃N₅/ReS₂ van der Waals...

Currently, two-dimensional/two-dimensional (2D/2D) van der Waals heterojunctions, as novel and excellent candidates for photocatalysts, have attracted significant attention because of their fundamentally improved interfacial charge separation/transfer and massive reactive centers. Herein, novel 2D/2D Ta₃N₅-nanosheet/ReS₂-nanosheet van der Waals heterojunction photocatalysts are rationally designed through a method combining template-assisted and solution-adsorption processes. The resultant heterojunctions exhibit enhanced interfacial charge transfer, boosted light absorption and significantly increased reaction sites for hydrogen evolution. Correspondingly, they deliver a high photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of 615 μmol g^-1 h^-1, which is ∼3 and ∼12 times greater than that of bare Ta₃N₅ nanosheets and ReS₂ nanosheets, respectively, and superior to those in the most recent reports about photocatalytic water splitting on Ta₃N₅ material, implying their potential applications as advanced catalysts for hydrogen evolution.