Elucidating the formation and active state of Cu co-catalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

ABSTRACT: The design of active and selective co-catalysts constitutes one of the major challenges in developing heterogeneous photocatalysts for energy conversion applications. This work provides a comprehensive insight into thermally induced bottom-up generation and transformation of a series of promising Cu-based co-catalysts. We demonstrate that the volcano-type HER profile as a function of calcination temperature is independent of the type of the Cu precursor but is affected by changes in oxidation state and location of the copper species. Supported by DFT modeling, our data suggest that low temperature (<200 °C) treatments facilitate electronic communication between the Cu species and TiO₂, which allows for a more efficient charge utilization and maximum HER rates. In contrast, highe

SUBMITTER: Schubert JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8492008 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature