Nanosized MoP as a cocatalyst over red phosphorus for photocatalytic water splitting

Loading suitable cocatalysts can significantly enhance photocatalytic activity by accelerating photogenerated charge separation and facilitating interfacial redox reactions. Herein, MoP nanoparticles were synthesized in a straightforward phosphorization procedure and then assembled with red phosphorus (RP) as a cocatalyst to construct the MoP/RP coupled photocatalyst. The composite photocatalyst could achieve pure water splitting, with the hydrogen production activity of 427 mu mol h(-1)g(-1) under full-arc irradiation and 247 mu mol h(-1)g(-1) under visible-light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic property was attributed to the intimate contact between MoP and RP for efficient spatial separation of photogenerated carriers and improved surface reaction. Meanwhile, H2O was oxidized into value-added liquid H2O2, which could contribute to the safe and convenient separation of photocatalytic products for the practical application.

Automated summary

Loading suitable cocatalysts can enhance photocatalytic activity by accelerating charge separation and facilitating interfacial redox reactions. In this study, MoP nanoparticles were synthesized and assembled with red phosphorus (RP) to construct the MoP/RP coupled photocatalyst. The composite photocatalyst achieved pure water splitting and showed enhanced hydrogen production activity under both full-arc and visible-light irradiation. The improved performance was attributed to the intimate contact between MoP and RP, which facilitated spatial separation of carriers and surface reactions. Moreover, the oxidation of water into H2O2 provided a value-added product and facilitated the separation of photocatalytic products for practical application.