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Metal–Organic Framework Derived Narrow Bandgap Cobalt Carbide Sensitized Titanium Dioxide Nanocage for Superior Photo‐Electrochemical Water Oxidation Performance
Author(s) -
Tang Rui,
Zhou Shujie,
Zhang Luyuan,
Yin Longwei
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201706154
Subject(s) - materials science , nanosheet , photocurrent , nanocages , water splitting , heterojunction , photocatalysis , chemical engineering , band gap , reversible hydrogen electrode , titanium dioxide , electrochemistry , nanotechnology , electrode , optoelectronics , catalysis , working electrode , composite material , biochemistry , chemistry , engineering
Despite recent progress in photo‐electrochemical (PEC) water oxidation systems for TiO 2 ‐based photoanodes, PEC performance improvement is still seriously hampered due to poor carrier transport efficiency and sluggish surface water oxidation kinetics of pristine TiO 2 . Herein, for the first time a brand new metal–organic framework (MOF)‐derived Co 3 C nanosheet with narrow bandgap energy is demonstrated, to effectively sensitize TiO 2 hollow cages as a heterostructure photoanode for PEC water oxidation. It is found that MOF‐derived Co 3 C nanosheet with narrow bandgap characteristic can simultaneously accelerate the surface water oxidation kinetics and extend the light harvesting range of pristine TiO 2 . Meanwhile, a uniquely matched type‐II heterojunction constructed between MOF‐derived Co 3 C and TiO 2 results in an evidently spontaneous e − /h + separation. MOF‐derived Co 3 C/TiO 2 heterostructure photoanodes bring about drastically improved PEC water oxidation performance. Specifically, MOF‐derived Co 3 C‐3/TiO 2 photoanode with an optimized content of Co 3 C achieves the highest photocurrent density and charge separation efficiency of 2.6 mA cm −2 and 92.6% at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, corresponding to 201% and 152% improvement compared with pristine TiO 2 nanocages. The ingeniously prepared MOF‐derived Co 3 C carbide with narrow bandgap energy as a cocatalyst paves new way to construct potentially high performance solar‐energy conversion system.