Noble‐Metal‐Free Janus‐like Structures by Cation Exchange for Z‐Scheme Photocatalytic Water Splitting under Broadband Light Irradiation

Abstract

Abstract Z‐scheme water splitting is a promising approach based on high‐performance photocatalysis by harvesting broadband solar energy. Its efficiency depends on the well‐defined interfaces between two semiconductors for the charge kinetics and their exposed surfaces for chemical reactions. Herein, we report a facile cation‐exchange approach to obtain compounds with both properties without the need for noble metals by forming Janus‐like structures consisting of γ‐MnS and Cu 7 S 4 with high‐quality interfaces. The Janus‐like γ‐MnS/Cu 7 S 4 structures displayed dramatically enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production rates of up to 718 μmol g −1 h −1 under full‐spectrum irradiation. Upon further integration with an MnO x oxygen‐evolution cocatalyst, overall water splitting was accomplished with the Janus structures. This work provides insight into the surface and interface design of hybrid photocatalysts, and offers a noble‐metal‐free approach to broadband photocatalytic hydrogen production.