Nanohybrid Crystals with Heteroepitaxial Junctions for Solar-to-Chemical Transformations

• Published in: Journal of physical chemistry. C Vol. 124; no. 47; pp. 25657 - 25666
• Main Authors: Tada, Hiroaki, Naya, Shin-ichi, Fujishima, Musashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 25.11.2020
• Subjects: nanohybrids; photocatalysis; photocatalysts; photosynthesis; physical chemistry
• ISSN: 1932-7447; 1932-7455; 1932-7455
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c06593

Nanohybrid crystals consisting of metals and semiconductors can be the key materials for the solar-to-chemical transformations including the artificial photosynthesis. For the effective interplay between the components, the construction of high-quality interface is pivotal. This feature article highlights the importance of the quality of the interface at an atomic level on the activity of nanohybrid photocatalysts. First, the recent development of the techniques for synthesizing nanohybrids with heteroepitaxial junction (HEPI) between the components is described. Second, the HEPI-junction-induced effects on the elemental steps in photocatalysis including light harvesting, interfacial charge transfer, charge separation, and surface redox reactions are discussed. Third, the applications of the nanohybrids with HEPI junction to photocatalytic multiple-electron redox reactions are dealt with. Finally, the conclusions are summarized with possible future subjects and prospects of the nanohybrid photocatalysts with HEPI junction.