Facile preparation of semimetallic MoP2 as a novel visible light driven photocatalyst with high photocatalytic activity

The production of clean and renewable H-2 by photocatalytic water splitting has attracted much attention due to the increasing energy crisis. In this work, semimetallic MoP2 nanoparticles are discovered as a new photocatalyst to efficiently degenerate methyl orange and produce H-2 from water under visible light irradiation. MoP2 nanoparticles were prepared using a solid-state reaction route via a vacuum encapsulation technique followed by acid washing. Both first-principle band-structure calculations and experimental measurements reveal typical semimetallic characteristics for MoP2. The obtained MoP2 nanoparticles display superior photocatalytic performances for the degradation of methyl orange with a good stability and the reduction of water assisted by sacrificial elemental Pt under visible light. The detection of hydroxyl radicals in the solution in the presence of MoP2 with fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed its photodegradable activities. The present study points out a new direction for developing semimetallic photocatalysts for H-2 production through water splitting.