Electronegative diversity induced localized built-in electric field in a single phased MoSxSeyNz for selectivity-enhanced visible photocatalytic CO2 reduction

• Published in: Applied catalysis. B, Environmental Vol. 330; p. 122625
• Main Authors: Long, Deng, Liu, Jia, Chen, Hongyu, Liu, Pei, Zheng, Kai, Zeng, Yibo, Chen, Xinyi, Li, Shuang, Lu, Miao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 05.08.2023
• Subjects: Built-in electric field; Electronegativity; Photocatalytic CO2 reduction; Quarternary TMDs; Selectivity; Quarternary TMDs; Selectivity; Electronegativity; Built-in electric field; Photocatalytic CO2 reduction
• ISSN: 0926-3373; 1873-3883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2023.122625

How to passivate the recombination in a photocatalyst is a big challenge to achieve efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Besides the heterojunction strategy, the design of intrinsic built-in electric field in a single phased photocatalyst can facilitate the transport while it does not introduce extra side reactions induced by the unbalanced photocarriers. This work utilizes the electronegative diversity between chalcogens and non-chalcogen element in a quarternary transition metal dichalcogenide of MoSxSeyNz to define localized built-in electric fields. It has been revealed that the nitrogen induced intrinsic dipole moments and potential energy have strenghthened the built-in electric fields, promoting the separation of photocarriers and the gathering of electrons around N sites, which has been found to improve the adsorption of intermediate products and lower the energy for methanol-oriented photoproduction route. Finally, the MoSxSeyNz has improved the photoproduction of methanol reduced from CO2 by 162%. [Display omitted] •Strong intrinsic dipole moments and localized built-in electric field form in the quarternary MoSxSeyNz .•The gathering of electrons around N sites is favored to trigger highly selective photocatalytic CO2 reduction.•The photocatalytic production of methanol has been improved by 162% from the ternary MoSxSey to the quarternary MoSxSeyNz.