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Nonepitaxial Gold-Tipped ZnSe Hybrid Nanorods for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Chen, W; Li, X; Wang, F; Javaid, S; Pang, Y; Chen, J; Yin, Z; ... Jia, G; + view all (2020) Nonepitaxial Gold-Tipped ZnSe Hybrid Nanorods for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production. Small , 16 (12) , Article 1902231. 10.1002/smll.201902231. Green open access

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Abstract

For the first time, colloidal gold (Au)–ZnSe hybrid nanorods (NRs) with controlled size and location of Au domains are synthesized and used for hydrogen production by photocatalytic water splitting. Au tips are found to grow on the apices of ZnSe NRs nonepitaxially to form an interface with no preference of orientation between Au(111) and ZnSe(001). Density functional theory calculations reveal that the Au tips on ZnSe hybrid NRs gain enhanced adsorption of H compared to pristine Au, which favors the hydrogen evolution reaction. Photocatalytic tests reveal that the Au tips on ZnSe NRs effectively enhance the photocatalytic performance in hydrogen generation, in which the single Au‐tipped ZnSe hybrid NRs show the highest photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of 437.8 µmol h−1 g−1 in comparison with a rate of 51.5 µmol h−1 g−1 for pristine ZnSe NRs. An apparent quantum efficiency of 1.3% for hydrogen evolution reaction for single Au‐tipped ZnSe hybrid NRs is obtained, showing the potential application of this type of cadmium (Cd)‐free metal–semiconductor hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) in solar hydrogen production. This work opens an avenue toward Cd‐free hybrid NP‐based photocatalysis for clean fuel production.

Type: Article
Title: Nonepitaxial Gold-Tipped ZnSe Hybrid Nanorods for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1002/smll.201902231
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.201902231
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Au–ZnSe, cadmium‐free, hybrid nanorods, hydrogen production, photocatalysis
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Earth Sciences
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10088497
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