Environmentally benign visible-light-driven Fe-WSe₂ photocatalyst for hydrogen production and dye degradation

Photocatalytic water splitting is a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach for producing hydrogen. Herein, Fe-doped WSe₂ (Fe-WSe₂) photocatalyst is reported for improved dye degradation and visible light-driven hydrogen production. Fe, integrated into WSe₂ lattice, was prepared hydrothermally to enhance its electronic structure and improve the charge separation and light absorption. Under simulated solar irradiation, Fe-WSe₂ produced hydrogen gas at the rate of 18.45 mmol h^-1, which is twice the performance of the undoped WSe₂ (7.42 mmol h^-1). Fe-WSe₂ is an n-type semiconductor with an appropriately negative flat band potential, facilitating an effective electron transport according to the band structure analysis and Mott-Schottky experiments. Due to the formation of increased reactive oxygen species and extended charge carrier lifetimes, the material demonstrated exceptional photocatalytic degradation of Indigo Carmine dye to the extent of 93% in 3 h under visible light. These findings demonstrate the potential of Fe-WSe₂ as a noble-metal-free photocatalyst for environmental remediation and sustainable energy production. The research presents a scalable method for enhancing transition metal dichalcogenides' photocatalytic activity through selective doping for environmental applications.