Publication
Title
Blue-edge slow photons promoting visible-light hydrogen production on gradient ternary 3DOM $TiO_{2}-Au-CdS$ photonic crystals
Author
Abstract
 The slow photon effect, a structural effect of photonic crystal photocatalyst, is very efficient in the enhancement of photocatalytic reactions. However, slow photons in powdered photonic crystal photocatalyst have rarely been discussed because they are usually randomly oriented when the photocatalytic reaction happens in solution under constant stirring. In this work, for the first time we design a gradient ternary TiO2-Au-CdS photonic crystal based on three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) TiO2 as skeleton, Au as electron transfer medium and CdS as active material for photocatalytic H-2 production under visible-light. As a result, this gradient ternary photocatalyst is favorable to simultaneously enhance light absorption, extend the light responsive region and reduce the recombination rate of the charge carriers. In particular, we found that slow photons at blue-edge exhibit much higher photocatalytic activity than that at red-edge. The photonic crystal photocatalyst with a macropore size of 250 nm exhibits the highest visible-light H-2 production rate of 3.50 mmol h(-1) g(-1) due to the slow photon energy at the blue-edge to significantly enhance the incident photons utilization. This work verifies that slow photons at the blue-edge can largely enhance light harvesting and sheds a light on designing the powdered photonic crystal photocatalyst to promote the photocatalytic H-2 production via slow photon effect.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Nano energy. - -
Publication
2018
ISSN
2211-2855
Volume/pages
47 (2018) , p. 266-274
ISI
000430057000027
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
 Faculty/Department Research group Publication type Subject Affiliation Publications with a UAntwerp address