Excellent Charge Transfer Research Articles

General Synthesis of Single-Crystalline Ta2O5 Nanorods Towards Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Production Activity.

As a potential candidate for photocatalytic H2 production from water splitting, Ta2O5 catalyst presents suitable conduction and valence band positions, but suffers from poor charge transfer ability, which seriously limits its photocatalytic performance enhancement. Here, a facile and eco-friendly hydrothermal method was developed for the fabrication of one-dimensional (1D) Ta2O5 nanorods using the freshly precipitated tantalic acids as the precursors. An oriented attachment mechanism was proposed for the growth of Ta2O5 nanorods. Moreover, the present synthetic approach was further extended to direct synthesis of nine kinds of alkaline tantalates and alkaline-earth tantalates nanostructures, suggesting its general applicability. A significant increase in activity in photocatalytic H2 production was revealed on 1D Ta2O5 nanorods. The improved photocatalytic H2 production activity of Ta2O5 nanorods was mainly attributed to its 1D nanorods structure with high crystallization and large specific surface areas as well as excellent charge transfer efficiency.

Boosting Hydrogen Evolution Behaviors of Porous Nickel Phosphate by Phosphorization Engineering

A stable and efficient porous nickel phosphate (p-NiPO/Ti) electrocatalyst on titanium sheets was developed via electrochemical deposition and low-temperature phosphatization. For obtaining the optimal performance of the p-NiPO/Ti electrocatalyst, the optimized experimental parameters of deposition and phosphatization were determined by parallel experiments. After the preparation, XPS and XRD were used to validate the chemical and amorphous structure, with SEM and TEM simultaneously validating a distinct nanosheet/nanocluster crosslinked microstructure. In particular, with phosphatization conditions maintained at 300 °C for 10 min, the p-NiPO/Ti produced demonstrated excellent charge transfer and catalytic characteristics in 1.0 M KOH. The electrocatalytic results revealed that the optimal p-NiPO/Ti with excellent catalytic performance and excellent stability (~24 h) needs lower HER overpotentials (128 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and 242 mV at 100 mA cm−2) as inputs. This research provides a promising strategy with which to use transition metal materials as catalysts in alkaline electrocatalytic hydrogen production.

Fabrication of pyridine incorporated and O-doped g-C3N4/COF: A type-II heterojunction for enhanced hydrogen production under visible light irradiation

The fabrication of heterojunction photocatalysts is important for achieving highly efficient electron transfer, charge separation, and catalytic activity. In this study, we report the successful creation of a type II heterojunction between pyridine incorporated and O-doped g-C3N4 (POCN) and a covalent organic framework (COF). The heterojunction formation significantly reduced the fluorescence intensity of the POCN/COF, indicating effective separation of electron-hole pairs. Additionally, POCN/COF demonstrated excellent interface charge transfer resistance and photocurrent response. Its hydrogen production rate was remarkably high at 3500 μmol g⁻1 h⁻1, about 1.6 times that of pure COF (2200 μmol g⁻1 h⁻1) and 3.5 times that of the physical mixture (1000 μmol g⁻1 h⁻1), and it also exhibited enhanced stability. This indicates that it can be effectively fabricated into a heterojunction of POCN and COF. The optimal value for adding POCN was approximately 5 wt% of COF. This demonstrates greater activity compared to other composite catalysts made from graphitic carbon nitride and COF. This study presents a valuable approach for fabricating reusable heterojunction photocatalytic systems and efficiently generating hydrogen from natural energy sources.

Needle growth of Nb2O5 nanoparticles on BiOCl nanosheets to fabricate S-scheme heterojunction with oxygen vacancies for enhanced photooxidation of cyclohexane

The exploration of cost-efficient, environmentally friendly, and high-efficacy photocatalysts for the enhanced selective photooxidation of cyclohexane to KA oil (cyclohexanone (CHA-one) and cyclohexanol (CHA-ol)) is a pivotal challenge in the industrial realm. Herein, the present study focuses on the synthesis of needle-like S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts with oxygen vacancies, which are achieved by the needle growth integration of nano-sized Nb2O5 particles onto the BiOCl nanosheets. Remarkably, the 40 % Nb2O5/BiOCl composites exhibited superior performance in the solvent-free photooxidation of cyclohexane at room-temperature and under atmospheric pressure. The production yield of KA oil was 180.3 μmol (CHA-one/CHA-ol molar ratio = 3.5), and exceptional selectivity towards KA oil, reaching up to 99.3 %. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency in cyclohexane oxidation can be attributed to the unique S-scheme heterogeneous interfaces with specific nanoneedle morphology, which result in the enhanced photonic absorption, effective charge carrier separation, a high density of oxygen vacancies, and the exposure of the highly reactive (001) plane of BiOCl. The excellent interfacial charge separation and transfer pathways of S-scheme heterojunction are disclosed by the in-depth EPR analysis and DFT calculations. These insights highlight the significant potential of the needle-like Bi-based S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts for the efficient photooxidation of saturated alkanes.

Photoirradiation-enhanced behavior via morphological manipulation of CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 heterojunction for supercapacitor and CO2 reduction

Regulating the morphology of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4, CN) and constructing CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 (CFO/CN) heterojunctions were adopted in the photocatalytic energy storage and photocatalytic CO2 reduction (PCR). CFO/CNS had outstanding light response ability, while CFO/CNT possessed excellent charge transfer ability. Consequently, CFO/CNT electrode exhibited the highest specific capacitance without light, CFO/CNS electrode showed the most obvious photo-enhanced capacitance behavior with an increase by 21.05 % under light. This was ascribed to the generation and separation of photo-generated carriers, promoting oxidation/reduction reactions. And in PCR, the electron consumption rates of four CFO/CN heterojunctions were CFO/CNT > CFO/BCN > CFO/MCN > CFO/CNS. CFO/CNT presented the highest photocatalytic activity, attributing to the strong redox ability and photo-enhanced electron transfer. This strategy of utilizing CFO/CN heterojunctions to construct photo-enhanced supercapacitor electrodes and photocatalytic CO2 reduction catalysts provided new ideas for energy conversion and storage.

Synergizing Proton‐Dominated Storage and Electron Transfer for High‐Loading, Fast‐Rate Organic Anode in Metal‐Free Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries

AbstractDeveloping suitable anode materials to fabricate metal‐free Zinc ion battery is a promising strategy to solve the issues of Zn metal anode, such as dendrite growth and side reactions. However, the reported anode materials face shortcomings such as unsatisfactory rate performance, low mass loading, etc. Herein, featuring synergetic proton‐dominated storage and electron transfer, a conjugated polyimide nanocomposite trapped by multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (PPN‐MWCNT) is developed for high‐loading, fast‐rate organic anode materials in metal‐free Zinc ion battery. Specifically, abundant hydrophilic active sites and nonplaner conjunctional structure in PPN achieve proton‐dominated storage with two steps four electrons mechanism, leading to fast ion diffusion, and the intimate contact between the polymer and MWCNT via in situ polymerization ensures the excellent charge transfer and robust structure. Thus, the PPN‐MWCNT electrode delivers low redox potential, ultrahigh rate performance (50 A g−1), superior loading capability (≈40 mg cm−2) and exceptional long‐term cyclability (over 12 000 cycles). More importantly, the full batteries assembled with PPN‐MWCNT anode and different cathodes deliver a high energy density of 106.4 Wh kg−1 (PPN‐MWCNT//MnO2) and 83.7 Wh kg−1 (PPN‐MWCNT//active carbon‐I2), exceeding the most reported metal‐free Zinc ion batteries.

Modeling of graphene like structure by utilizing phenanthrocarbazole for tailoring the second-order nonlinear optical properties

Lower band gap with excellent intramolecular charge transfer plays a pivotal role towards developing the strong nonlinear optical (NLO) properties in a molecule. In the current investigation, we have designed a series of graphene like molecules with promising organic fragments that we have strategically adjoin the phenanthrocarbazole and tetracyanobuta-1,3-dienes (TCBD) fragment. Density functional theory (DFT) approach with CAM-B3LYPP/6-311+G(d,p) were performed to evaluate the nonlinear optical properties of designed derivative. The NLO characteristics were analysed the static polarizability (α0), first order hyperpolarizabilities (βtot) and band gap. The calculated results revealed that the designed molecules have better NLO response and highest βtot were observed for molecule 10 (117871 au). Time dependent density functional based theories at the same level of theory were also performed to calculate the absorption spectra. The calculated results observed that there was a red shift trend with reduced band gap of designed derivative. Further, to substantiate our finding, we have also calculated density of states (DOS), molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) and transition density matrix (TDM) at the same level of theory. As a consequence the designed derivative shed light that the efficient TCBD group with graphene like molecular system and donor group can be utilized to design new molecular motif for NLO applications.

Development and performance evaluation of green superhydrophobic coating for fouling and corrosion protection

In this paper, a simple and environmentally friendly superhydrophobic stearic acid-modified zinc-nickel-cobalt composite coating (SA@ZNC) is presented. The zinc-nickel-cobalt (ZNC) coating with petal-like micro/nano-rough structure was constructed on the metal surface by combining electrodeposition and chemical substitution techniques. Subsequently, the coating was modified with low surface energy by adding stearic acid, and the SA@ZNC coating with excellent superhydrophobicity (water contact angle of 161.08 ± 0.31° and rolling angle of 3.50 ± 0.54°) was prepared. The coating is self-cleaning against a wide range of simulated contaminants and can remain superhydrophobic in air for over a year. Changes in pH do not significantly affect the superhydrophobicity and at low temperatures, the freezing time of water droplets on the coating was extended by 2.1 times compared to a blank steel sheet. Furthermore, the SA@ZNC coating demonstrated remarkable robustness, withstanding 30 minutes of water impact, a wear mass of 0.2 % after rubbing with weights over 2400 mm and retaining its superhydrophobicity after 80 tape stripping cycles. The results of the corrosion protection tests demonstrated that the SA@ZNC coating provided excellent corrosion protection for N80 steel, exhibiting a current density two orders of magnitude lower than that of the blank sample. Furthermore, the coating exhibited a corrosion inhibition rate of 95.75 ± 0.33 % and excellent charge transfer resistance. The multiple protection mechanisms and homogeneous micro/nanostructure of the coatings resulted in significantly better corrosion resistance than most of the reported zinc-nickel based coatings. The use of low-energy consumption methods and environmentally friendly modifiers positions this coating for large-scale production and potential applications in sectors like food and medicine, with promising implications for corrosion protection in various industries.

AgCl co-catalyst modified g-C3N4 nanosheets for highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

This article uses a co-precipitation method to prepare AgCl/g-C3N4 photocatalysts, and the different loading amounts of AgCl on the g-C3N4 surface photocatalysts have a major effect on the efficiency of photocatalysis. AgCl/g-C3N4 photocatalysts can reduce charge transfer efficiency and enhance photocatalytic performance by loading a significant amount of AgCl onto their surface, which results in a wide interface contact area, excellent charge transfer efficiency, and an increase in numerous surface active sites. In ideal circumstances, 15 % AgCl/g-C3N4 (15 % AgCl/CN) photocatalyst exhibits visible light in triethanolamine aqueous solution (λ > 420) the hydrogen production is as high as 721.34 μmol h−1 g−1 is 15.6 times greater than traditional g-C3N4 photocatalysts. The result show that photocatalysts based on g-C3N4 are capable of producing hydrogen with good efficiency.

Heterostructures constructed by NiMoO4 functionalized 2D MoO3 nanosheets for ultrasensitive trimethylamine detection with ppb level detection

Trimethylamine (TMA) serves as an indicator for assessing seafood spoilage and a biomarker for kidney disease. Achieving this dual functionality necessitates the detection of TMA with a low detection limit and exceptional selectivity. Here, NiMoO4 functionalized MoO3 heterostructures were constructed and subjected to a systematic investigation of their sensing properties towards TMA. The 7 %-NiMoO4/MoO3 sensor could detect trace TMA at 200°C with a response value of 3.93 (0.1 ppm) and achieve detecting thresholds as low as 2.48 ppb (theoretical limit). Additionally, the sensor exhibits remarkable selectivity to TMA, an expansive adjustable concentration on detection range, and excellent long-term stability. The enhanced sensing properties may be ascribed to the forming p-n heterojunctions at the NiMoO4/MoO3 interface, effectively modulating the interfacial potential. Moreover, the NiMoO4/MoO3 heterostructures demonstrate excellent charge-transfer capability, high charge carrier density, and a substantial active surface area in electrochemical measurements, thereby enhancing the sensing ability of TMA. Additionally, the thin nanosheet structure facilitates efficient charge transportation along the length of the nanosheets, further enhancing the sensing response. These results indicate the potential of NiMoO4/MoO3 as a promising sensing material for TMA gas sensors.

The introduction of rich active sites on 0D@2D nanocarbon via light illuminating with high-efficient electrocatalytic H2O2 production

Two-dimensional (2D) carbon-based materials are high-quality electrocatalytic materials with high mass transfer interfaces. However, the intrinsic 2D surfaces often lack of abundant active sites and outstanding electron transport channels. Herein, a 0D@2D nanocarbon material with affluent unsaturated oxygen-containing groups (UOCGSs) active sites and excellent electron channels are constructed via a novel sodium ion-capping and light illuminating strategy. With the aid of the light illuminating, the final 0D@2D product exhibits a superior practical H2O2 production rate of up to 1109 mmol·gcatalyst−1 h−1 with a high level of onset potential 0.78V and 94 % H2O2 selectivity in H-cell. This improved performance arises from the introduction of UOCGSs and excellent charge transfer on the 0D@2D interface. Obviously, this work exhibits a new green stagey for the design of 0D@2D carbon-based structure via light illuminating.

Microscale Lateral Perovskite Light Emitting Diode Realized by Self-Doping Phenomenon.

High-definition near-eye display technology has extremely close sight distance, placing a higher demand on the size, performance, and array of light-emitting pixel devices. Based on the excellent photoelectric performance of metal halide perovskite materials, perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have high photoelectric conversion efficiency, adjustable emission spectra, and excellent charge transfer characteristics, demonstrating great prospects as next-generation light sources. Despite their potential, the solubility of perovskite in photoresist presents a hurdle for conventional micro/nano processing techniques, resulting in device sizes typically exceeding 50 μm. This limitation impedes the further downsizing of perovskite-based components. Herein, we propose a plane-structured PeLED device that can achieve microscale light-emitting diodes with a single pixel device size < 2 μm and a luminescence lifetime of approximately 3 s. This is accomplished by fabricating a patterned substrate and regulating ion distribution in the perovskite through self-doping effects to form a PN junction. This breakthrough overcomes the technical challenge of perovskite-photoresist incompatibility, which has hindered the development of perovskite materials in micro/nano optoelectronic devices. The strides made in this study open up promising avenues for the advancement of PeLEDs within the realm of micro/nano optoelectronic devices.

CNT Composite β-MnO2 with Fiber Cable Shape as Cathode Materials for Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have developed into one of the most attractive materials for large-scale energy storage owing to their advantages such as high energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, the sluggish diffusion kinetics and inherent impoverished conductivity affect their practical application. Herein, the β-MnO2 composited with carbon nanotubes (CNT@M) is prepared through a simple hydrothermal approach as a high-performance cathode for AZIBs. The CNT@M electrode exhibits excellent cycling stability, in which the maximum specific discharge capacity is 259 mA h g-1 at 3 A g-1, and there is still 220 mA h g-1 after 2000 cycles. The specific capacity is obviously better than that of β-MnO2 (32 mA h g-1 after 2000 cycles). The outstanding electrochemical performance of the battery is inseparable from the structural framework of CNT and inherent high conductivity. Furthermore, CNT@M can form a complex conductive network based on CNTs to provide excellent ion diffusion and charge transfer. Therefore, the active material can maintain a long-term cycle and achieve stable capacity retention. This research provides a reasonable solution for the reliable conception of Mn-based electrodes and indicates its potential application in high-performance AZIB cathode materials.

Enhancing electron transfer in anaerobic process by supercapacitor materials: Polyaniline functionated activated carbon

Strengthening the direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) is an effective strategy to improve the performance of anaerobic digestion (AD) process. In this study, the polyaniline functionated activated carbon (AC-PANi) was prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization. This material possessed pseudo-capacitance properties as well as excellent charge transfer capability. The experimental results demonstrated that the incorporation of AC-PANi in AD process could efficiently increase the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (18.6 %) and daily methane production rate (35.3 %). The AC-PANi can also act as an extracellular acceptor to promote the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and secretion of extracellular enzymes as well as cytochrome C (Cyt-C). The content of coenzyme F420 on methanogens was also shown to be increased by 60.9 % with the addition of AC-PANi in AD reactor. Overall, this work provides an easy but feasible way to enhance AD performance by promoting DIET between acetate-producing bacteria and methanogens.

Advancing optoelectronic characteristics of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based molecules as donors for organic and as hole transporting materials for perovskite solar cells

A stable and efficient hole-transport material (HTM) is crucial for high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). A 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis[N,N-di(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]-9,9′-spirobifluorene (Spiro-MeOTAD) being used widely to prepare highly efficient PSCs. However, Spiro-MeOTAD has some limitations due to its complex synthesis, which increases its cost, and it also requires dopants to improve its performance. Therefore, we designed thirteen unique small-molecule-based HTMs (MK1-MK13), which are easy to synthesize, highly cost-effective, and don’t require dopants to prepare efficient PSCs. Their electrical and optical properties are then investigated theoretically using advanced quantum chemical approaches. The designed molecules showed lower energy gaps and improved optical and optoelectronic characteristics because of the improved phase inversion geometry. The detailed photo-physical and optoelectronic characteristics have been studied using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent (TD-DFT) calculations. Moreover, we investigated the impact of holes and electrons and the density of states, open-circuit voltage, frontier molecular orbital, transition density matrix, and other structural and photovoltaic characteristics of these materials. Among these, the MK3 molecule possesses the much narrower optical band gap of 1.04 eV and absorbance (λ max) of 684 nm, respectively. In addition, a profound investigation of the MK3/PC61BM blend shows excellent charge transfer at the acceptor–donor interface. Therefore, our proposed technique is necessary for generating appropriate photovoltaic materials for efficient optoelectronic devices and is helpful in further advancing the field.

Photocatalytic performance and mechanism insights of an S-scheme ZnMn2O4/ZIF-67 heterostructure in photocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible light irradiation

Improved separation among photoelectrons and holes (e−, h+) and regulated electron transport routes are essential to improve photocatalytic performance. This work adopts a convenient but more efficient method to prepare an S-scheme composite photocatalyst integrating narrow band gap semiconductor ZnMn2O4 (ZMO) and zeolitic imidazole framework ZIF-67(Z67) for improved photocatalytic CO2 reduction. The designed photocatalyst ZMO(X)/Z67 showed more visible light harvesting capacity compared to individual ZMO and Z67. The ZMO/Z67 nanocomposite containing 3 % ZMO nanosphere produced 1.91 times higher methanol (48.64 μmolg−1) compared to pure Z67 (25.36 μmolg−1) and 1.42 times higher ethanol (30.32 μmolg−1) compared to pure Z67 (21.28 μmolg−1) after 8 h visible light illumination. The composites' increased photocatalytic performance might be attributed primarily to excellent photogenerated charge separation and transfer via the linked S-scheme heterojunction between ZMO nanospheres and Z67. Various characterization methods are used to explore the structural, morphological, optical, and electrochemical features of produced photocatalysts, and a thorough photocatalytic mechanism is provided. After four recycling, the composite photocatalyst demonstrated good stability and recyclability. This study attributed to a viable method for constructing a direct S-scheme heterojunction for photocatalytic CO2 reduction.

Mechanofluorochromic behaviors and latent fingerprint detection of triphenylamine-based compounds with mono-/bis-BF2 fluorophores

To better understand the relationship between molecular structure of the mono-/bis-BF2-core compounds and mechanofluoroboron behaviors, two pyridine-based difluoroboron compounds with triphenylamine group (TPA-ts-BF2 and TPA-ts-2BF2) were designed and successfully synthesized, which TPA-ts-BF2 including a BF2 fluorophore and TPA-ts-2BF2 containing the bisBF2 fluorophores. Based on the photophysical properties measurements results, it was found that TPA-ts-2BF2 had more excellent intramolecular charge transfer characteristics than that of TPA-ts-BF2, and exhibited significant aggregation-induced emission activity, however, TPA-ts-BF2 displayed typical aggregation-caused quenching phenomenon. Meanwhile, the emission spectrum of the solid powders of TPA-ts-2BF2 was red-shifted 52 nm after grinding, that of TPA-ts-BF2 was red-shifted 46 nm, which was resulted from crystalline state switching to amorphous state. According to the theoretical calculations, we conjectured that TPA-ts-BF2 with uncoordinated amide linkage moiety had a tendency to forming a more twisted conformance and higher molecular polarity, which made that mechanofluorochromic behavior was worse than that of TPA-ts-2BF2. Additionally, TPA-ts-2BF2 was applied to latent fingerprint detection due to its prime aggregation-induced emission property.

Phenanthrenequinone-functionalized covalent microporous polymers for photo-enhanced gold recovery from waste electronic devices

Using green and effective photocatalytic reduction technology to reclaim gold from electronic waste has enormous economic benefits and is conducive to alleviating environmental problems and resource pressure. Therefore, the construction of photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity, low cost, and high selectivity is highly desirable for the extraction of gold from discarded electronic devices. Herein, we present the implementation of D-π-A and D-A type phenanthrenequinone functionalized conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) (named DBP-TEA and DBP-TDA) for adsorption-photoreduction reclaim of gold from electronic discarded leachate. The condensed DBP-TEA and DBP-TDA demonstrate a broad visible light absorption scope, outstanding semiconductor properties and good stability. Advantaged by the excellent charge transfer efficiency of the highly conjugated D-π-A skeleton, DBP-TEA has a narrower optical band gap of 1.50 eV compared with DBP-TDA (1.91 eV). Not surprisingly, DBP-TEA with outstanding photocatalytic activity exhibits high gold recovery capacity (3053.1 mg g−1) and fast adsorption kinetics under light condition, which is far beyond to DBP-TDA and other adsorbents that have been reported. This study introduces a novel new adsorption-photoreduction strategy for exploring efficient recovery of gold from electronic waste.

Three-dimensional Cobalt-MOF/ CNF microstructured assembly as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for effective overall water-splitting in alkaline media

The electrocatalyst Co-MOF/CNF microstructure exhibits excellent stability and charge transfer efficiency synthesized via ultrasonication technique. The composite has a lower Rct value of 2 Ω. The larger Cdl value of Co-MOF/CNF (12.3 mF/dec) is responsible for the high catalytic activity for both HER and OER reactions. The composite has strong catalytic activity in HER and OER, with low overpotentials of 193 mV and 250 mV at 10 mA/cm2. Furthermore, excellent water electrolyzer activity was achieved by Co-MOF/CNF||Co-MOF/CNF with a cell voltage of 1.49 V at 10 mA/cm2 and is stable over 24 h, proving the long-term efficacy in sustainable energy systems.

Potential-dependent photo-electro-catalysis coupling mechanism for methanol oxidation: A case study over Pt/Cu-Nb2O5 nanorod arrays

The sluggish methanol oxidation kinetics has seriously hindered the development of direct methanol fuel cells. Photo-electro-catalysis is expected to accelerate reaction rates, yet suffers from lack of efficient photoelectrocatalysts and more importantly, less understanding on photo-electro-catalysis mechanism. Herein, a unique Cu-Nb2O5 nanorod array with excellent light adsorption and charge transfer ability, on which supports Pt nanoparticles, is constructed for photo-electrocatalytic methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). Systematical investigation discovers a potential-dependent photo-electro-catalysis coupling mechanism, i.e., at lower potential bias where the Fermi level of semiconductor (Ef,s) is beyond the Fermi level of Pt (Ef,Pt), electrons transferring from Pt to semiconductor is switched off, so semiconductor Cu-Nb2O5 alone takes a dominant role for both methanol and water activation; at higher potential bias where Ef,s is below Ef, Pt, electrons flowing from Pt to semiconductor is switched on, so methanol dehydrogenation on Pt surface is allowed energetically. Further investigation on the MOR processes prompts us to propose a MOR pathway that methanol dehydrogenates on Pt surface, with the aid of *OH from the photo-activated water on Cu-Nb2O5 to proceed via formaldehyde, formic acid to carbon dioxide, resulting to a low apparent activation energy and fast kinetics of MOR as compared to its counterpart Pt/Nb2O5. This work not only provides an efficient photoelectrocatalyst for methanol oxidation, but also sheds lights on the underlying photo-electro-catalysis coupling mechanism over semiconductor–metal catalysts.