Efficient Visible‐Light‐Driven Z‐Scheme Overall Water Splitting Using a MgTa 2 O 6− x N y  /TaON Heterostructure Photocatalyst for H 2 Evolution

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 54; no. 29; pp. 8498 - 8501
• Main Authors: Chen, Shanshan, Qi, Yu, Hisatomi, Takashi, Ding, Qian, Asai, Tomohiro, Li, Zheng, Ma, Su Su Khine, Zhang, Fuxiang, Domen, Kazunari, Li, Can
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 13.07.2015
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201502686

Abstract An (oxy)nitride‐based heterostructure for powdered Z‐scheme overall water splitting is presented. Compared with the single MgTa 2 O 6− x N y or TaON photocatalyst, a MgTa 2 O 6− x N y  /TaON heterostructure fabricated by a simple one‐pot nitridation route was demonstrated to effectively suppress the recombination of carriers by efficient spatial charge separation and decreased defect density. By employing Pt‐loaded MgTa 2 O 6− x N y  /TaON as a H 2 ‐evolving photocatalyst, a Z‐scheme overall water splitting system with an apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 6.8 % at 420 nm was constructed (PtO x ‐WO 3 and IO 3 − /I − pairs were used as an O 2 ‐evolving photocatalyst and a redox mediator, respectively), the activity of which is circa 7 or 360 times of that using Pt‐TaON or Pt‐MgTa 2 O 6− x N y as a H 2 ‐evolving photocatalyst, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest AQE among the powdered Z‐scheme overall water splitting systems ever reported.