Work

Nickel carrier transfer bridge for improved photocatalytic water splitting of Zn2GeO4

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Photocatalytic water splitting can convert solar energy into hydrogen, which has important implications for reducing dependence on fossil fuels . Constructing heterojunctions is a universal method for facilitating charge transfer, but the poor interface matching limits its charge separation and photocatalytic activity . Here, a metal-nickel bridging (nickel interlayer) NiO-Ni-Zn 2 GeO 4 photocatalyst with well interface matching is designed through a partial oxidation strategy. Structure and in situ Raman characterization demonstrate that the nickel interlayer substantially optimizes interface matching and causes the first-order phonon mode transfer from the first-order longitudinal wave to the first-order transverse wave, which implies that NiO acts as the site for hydrogen production and violent surface reaction. Therefore, the nickel interlayer provides a charge transfer channel for carrier separation. Meanwhile, density functional theory calculations prove an optimal hydrogen-oxygen bond-breaking process with 36 % barriers decrease obtained via the effect of nickel interlayer. As a result, NiO-Ni-Zn 2 GeO 4 shows the photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of 206.6 μmol g −1 h −1 , which is over 8 times greater than that of Zn 2 GeO 4 . This study offers a new approach for designing heterojunctions with well-matched interface and efficient charge separation.

Source: Transactions of Materials Research

DOI: 10.1016/j.tramat.2025.100006