Exceptional Photocatalytic Activities of rGO Modified (B,N) Co‐Doped WO3, Coupled with CdSe QDs for One Photon Z‐Scheme System: A Joint Experimental and DFT Study

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Abstract
Artificial Z‐scheme, a tandem structure with two‐step excitation process, has gained significant attention in energy production and environmental remediation. By effectively connecting and matching the band‐gaps of two different photosystems, it is significant to utilize more photons for excellent photoactivity. Herein, a novel one‐photon (same energy‐two‐photon) Z‐scheme system is constructed between rGO modified boron‐nitrogen co‐doped‐WO3, and coupled CdSe quantum dots‐(QDs). The coctalyst‐0.5%RhxCr2O3(0.5RCr) modified amount‐optimized sample 6%CdSe/1%rGO3%BN‐WO3 revealed an unprecedented visible‐light driven overall‐water‐splitting to produce ≈51 µmol h−1 g−1 H2 and 25.5 µmol h−1 g−1 O2, and it remained unchanged for 5 runs in 30 h. This superior performance is ascribed to the one‐photon Z‐scheme, which simultaneously stimulates a two photocatalysts system, and enhanced charge separation as revealed by various spectroscopy techniques. The density‐functional theory is further utilized to understand the origin of this performance enhancement. This work provides a feasible strategy for constructing an efficient one‐photon Z‐scheme for practical applications.
Funding Information
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (11774044, 52072059)
  • Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20133514110003)
  • China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2017M622404, 2018M640906†)

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