Integrating Mixed Halide Perovskite Photocatalytic HI Splitting and Electrocatalysis into a Loop for Efficient and Robust Pure Water Splitting

Developing a hydrogen economy to replace traditional fossil fuels is essential for sustainable human development. As two promising H-2 production strategies, photocatalytic and electrocatalytic water splitting with large reaction energy barriers still face the great challenges of poor solar-to-hydrogen efficiency and large electrochemical overpotentials, respectively. Herein, a new strategy is proposed to disassemble the difficult pure water splitting into two parts that are easy to implement, namely mixed halide perovskite photocatalytic HI splitting for H-2 production, and simultaneous electrocatalytic I-3(-) reduction and O-2 production. The efficient charge separation, abundant H-2 production active sites, and a small HI splitting energy barrier contribute to the superior photocatalytic H-2 production activity of MoSe2/MAPbBr(3-)(x)I(x) (CH3NH3+ = MA). Subsequent electrocatalytic I-3(-) reduction and O-2 production reactions only need a small voltage of 0.92 V to drive, which is far lower than that of the electrocatalytic pure water splitting (>1.23 V). The molar ratio of H-2 (6.99 mmol g(-1)) to O-2 (3.09 mmol g(-1)) produced during the first photocatalytic and electrocatalytic cycle is close to 2:1, and the continuous circulation of I-3(-)/I- between the photocatalytic and electrocatalytic systems can achieve efficient and robust pure water splitting.

Automated summary

Developing a hydrogen economy is crucial for sustainable human development. Photocatalytic and electrocatalytic water splitting, as promising H-2 production strategies, face challenges in efficiency and overpotentials. This study proposes a new strategy, utilizing mixed halide perovskite photocatalytic HI splitting for H-2 production and simultaneous electrocatalytic I-3(-) reduction and O-2 production. Efficient charge separation, abundant active sites, and a small energy barrier contribute to superior H-2 production activity. The molar ratio of H-2 to O-2 produced during the first cycle is close to 2:1, and continuous circulation achieves efficient and robust pure water splitting.