ZnSe Nanorods as Visible‐Light Absorbers for Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical H 2 Evolution in Water

Kuehnel, Moritz F.; Creissen, Charles E.; Sahm, Constantin D.; Wielend, Dominik; Schlosser, Anja; Orchard, Katherine L.; Reisner, Erwin

Abstract

A precious-metal- and Cd-free photocatalyst system for efficient H2 evolution from aqueous protons with a performance comparable to Cd-based quantum dots is presented. Rod-shaped ZnSe nanocrystals (nanorods, NRs) with a Ni(BF4)2 co-catalyst suspended in aqueous ascorbic acid evolve H2 with an activity up to 54±2 mmolurn:x-wiley:14337851:media:anie201814265:anie201814265-math-0001  gZnSe−1 h−1 and a quantum yield of 50±4 % (λ=400 nm) under visible light illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm−2, λ>400 nm). Under simulated full-spectrum solar irradiation (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm−2), up to 149±22 mmolurn:x-wiley:14337851:media:anie201814265:anie201814265-math-0002  gZnSe−1 h−1 is generated. Significant photocorrosion was not noticeable within 40 h and activity was even observed without an added co-catalyst. The ZnSe NRs can also be used to construct an inexpensive delafossite CuCrO2 photocathode, which does not rely on a sacrificial electron donor. Immobilized ZnSe NRs on CuCrO2 generate photocurrents of around −10 μA cm−2 in an aqueous electrolyte solution (pH 5.5) with a photocurrent onset potential of approximately +0.75 V vs. RHE. This work establishes ZnSe as a state-of-the-art light absorber for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical H2 generation.

Citation

Kuehnel, M. F., Creissen, C. E., Sahm, C. D., Wielend, D., Schlosser, A., Orchard, K. L., & Reisner, E. (2019). ZnSe Nanorods as Visible‐Light Absorbers for Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical H 2 Evolution in Water. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 58(15), 5059-5063. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201814265

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Feb 4, 2019
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Deposit Date: May 30, 2023
• Journal: Angewandte Chemie International Edition
• Print ISSN: 1433-7851
• Electronic ISSN: 1521-3773
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 58
• Issue: 15
• Pages: 5059-5063
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201814265
• Keywords: General Chemistry; Catalysis
• Additional Information: Received: 2018-12-15; Published: 2019-03-06