Re3P4@C/TiO2 Ohmic junction Boosts charge carrier separation for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Construction of heterostructures featuring a well-designed transport pathway is pivotal in regulating the behavior of charge carriers, thereby achieving boosted separation efficiency. One of the primary factors leading to poor charge transfer and separation efficiency in heterostructures lies in the presence of interface barriers that hinder their transfer. Establishing an Ohmic contact with a low energy barrier can significantly reduce charge transfer resistance during photocatalysis. In this contribution, we have successfully developed an Re3P4@C/TiO2 Ohmic junction for highly improved photocatalytic H2 evolution rate, which exhibited a 68-fold increase compared to pristine TiO2. Experimental results combined with density functional theory calculations confirm the successful construction of Ohmic junction, which effectively facilitates the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers while prolongs their lifetimes. This heterojunction also enhances the adsorption capacity for reactants and thus promotes the surface photocatalytic reactions. This work provides valuable insights into novel Ohmic junction construction to improve the photocatalytic activity.