Building Ultrathin MOL/MOL S-Scheme Heterostructures toward Boosted Photocatalytic Charge Kinetics for Efficient H₂...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Photocatalysis
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Photocatalytic efficiency is limited by photogenerated electron kinetics.
• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show promise as catalysts.
• Efficient charge separation and transfer are crucial for photocatalysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and construct ultrathin metal-organic layer (MOL) heterojunctions.
• To enhance charge kinetics for improved photocatalytic activity.
• To develop an efficient photocatalyst for visible-light-driven H2 evolution.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of ultrathin MOL heterojunctions via pH-adjusted electrostatic assembly.
• Utilizing pre-exfoliated porphyrinic and pyrene-based MOLs.
• Characterization of S-scheme junction formation and charge transfer properties.

Main Results:

• Achieved ultrathin MOL/MOL heterojunctions with S-scheme architecture.
• Demonstrated significantly enhanced H2 evolution activity (8.5-106 times) compared to individual MOLs.
• Obtained optimal H2 production of 2027 µmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ with 2.75% apparent quantum yield.

Conclusions:

• The developed ultrathin MOL/MOL heterojunction architecture accelerates charge kinetics.
• This methodology provides a universal approach for efficient photocatalyst design.
• The findings offer valuable insights for solar-to-chemical energy conversion technologies.