Journal
NANO TODAY
Volume 10, Issue 4, Pages 468-486Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2015.06.001
Keywords
Photocatalysts; Photoelectrodes; Water splitting; Nanostructure; CO2 photoreduction; Atomic layer deposition
Categories
Funding
- National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) [2013CB632404]
- Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, New Century Excellent Talents in University [NCET-12-0268]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [21473090, 51272102]
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The photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical reduction of water or CO2 is an intriguing approach to producing sustainable solar fuels, and has attracted growing and intense interest. Nanostructuring of photocatalysts and photoelectrodes has been proven to be a strong strategy to dramatically improve overall solar-to-fuel conversion efficiencies. Another technological barrier for the practical implementation of solar fuel production is long-term material durability, which has recently been well addressed through use of conformal coatings of protective layers onto the narrow band-gap semiconductors that are suitable for efficient solar-to-fuel conversions but photoelectrochemically unstable. These significant progresses may lead us to the practical implementation of solar fuel production. In this review, we will focus on these exciting progresses achieved using nanostructuring strategies, specifically regarding how the nanostructure influences the charge transport and separation; special attention wilt be paid to how a nanoscale coating (overlayer) passivates the surface states, thereby reducing the surface electron hole recombination, and how a nanoscale coating (protective layer) prevents the photocorrosion or photopassivation of the semiconductors with optimal band gaps. We hope that the design strategies using these nanostructures will offer new and greater opportunities for efficient solar fuel production to existing photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical systems. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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