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An Elemental Phosphorus Photocatalyst with a Record High Hydrogen Evolution Efficiency
Author(s) -
Hu Zhuofeng,
Yuan Luyan,
Liu Zhifeng,
Shen Zhurui,
Yu Jimmy C.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201603331
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , phosphorus , environmental science , materials science , chemistry , metallurgy , biochemistry , catalysis
Semiconductive property of elementary substance is an interesting and attractive phenomenon. We obtain a breakthrough that fibrous phase red phosphorus, a recent discovered modification of red phosphorus by Ruck et al., can work as a semiconductor photocatalyst for visible‐light‐driven hydrogen (H 2 ) evolution. Small sized fibrous phosphorus is obtained by 1) loading it on photoinactive SiO 2 fibers or by 2) smashing it ultrasonically. They display the steady hydrogen evolution rates of 633 μmol h −1 g −1 and 684 μmol h −1 g −1 , respectively. These values are much higher than previous amorphous P (0.6 μmol h −1 g −1 ) and Hittorf P (1.6 μmol h −1 g −1 ). Moreover, they are the highest records in the family of elemental photocatalysts to date. This discovery is helpful for further understanding the semiconductive property of elementary substance. It is also favorable for the development of elemental photocatalysts.