Journal
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
Volume 7, Issue 11, Pages 6109-6117Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/am508357x
Keywords
CoO octahedrons; visible-light; photocatalytic activity; charge separation; polar {111} surfaces
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [21073116]
- Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province [2013JZ002]
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [GK201101004, GK201402019]
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Crystal facet engineering of semiconductors has been proven to be an effective strategy to increase photocatalytic performances. However, the mechanism involved in the photocatalysis is not yet known. Herein, we report our success in that photocatalytic performances of the Cl- ion capped CoO octahedrons with exposed {111} facets were activated by a treatment using AgNO3 and NH3 center dot H2O solutions. The clean CoO {111} facets were found to be highly reactivity faces. On the basis of the polar structure of the exposed {111} surfaces, a charge separation model between polar {111} surfaces is proposed. There is an internal electric field between polar {111} surfaces clue to the spontaneous polarization. The internal electric field provides a driving force for charge separation. The reduction and oxidation reactions selectively take place on the positive and negative polar {I 11} surfaces. The charge separation model provides a clear insight into charge transfer in the semiconductor nanocrystals with high photo catalytic activities and offer guidance to design more effective photocatalysts, solar cells, photoelectrodes, and other photoelectronic devices.
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