High Charge Separation Efficiency Research Articles

2D/2D BiVO4/CsPbBr3 S-scheme heterojunction for photocatalytic CO2 reduction: Insights into structure regulation and Fermi level modulation

Heterojunction construction is a universal and effective approach to achieve high-efficiency photocatalysts. Towards these well-designed heterojunctions, modulation on steering dynamic charge transfer holds great promise in further performance stimulation. Herein, 2D/2D BiVO4/CsPbBr3 S-scheme heterojunctions, of which CsPbBr3 nanosheets (NSs) are in-situ face-to-face grown onto BiVO4 NSs, are designed as cornerstones for further carrier managements. Briefly, with controllable heterostructure regulation, an intimate heterointerface between BiVO4 and CsPbBr3 NSs with similar size can be obtained accompanied with a maximally intensified interfacial interaction, largely boosting charge transfer across the interfacial conjunction. Moreover, by further tailoring the intrinsic O vacancy (VO••) of BiVO4, the gradient Fermi level shift towards its valence band is finely tuned, yielding an enlarged Fermi level gap and an enhanced internal electric field (IEF) over BiVO4/CsPbBr3 heterojunctions. Such an intensified IEF provides a powerful driving force for directional charge migration, resulting in high charge separation and utilization efficiency. Hence, the optimized BiVO4/CsPbBr3 S-scheme heterojunction features desirable accelerated dynamic carrier mobility, delivering comparably high CO2-to-CO conversion with a turnover number (TON) near 230 without any co-catalyst or sacrificial agent. The accelerated S-scheme charge transfer mechanism is revealed in detail by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), theoretical calculations, photo-irradiated Kelvin probe force microscopy and in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS).

Faradaic junction and isoenergetic charge transfer mechanism on semiconductor/semiconductor interfaces

Energy band alignment theory has been widely used to understand interface charge transfer in semiconductor/semiconductor heterojunctions for solar conversion or storage, such as quantum-dot sensitized solar cells, perovskite solar cells and photo(electro)catalysis. However, abnormally high open-circuit voltage and charge separation efficiency in these applications cannot be explained by the classic theory. Here, we demonstrate a Faradaic junction theory with isoenergetic charge transfer at semiconductor/semiconductor interface. Such Faradaic junction involves coupled electron and ion transfer, which is substantively different from the classic band alignment theory only involving electron transfer. The Faradaic junction theory can be used to explain these abnormal results in previous studies. Moreover, the characteristic of zero energy loss of charge transfer in a Faradaic junction also can provide a possibility to design a solar conversion device with a large open-circuit voltage beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit by the band alignment theory.

Synthesis of bismuth oxyiodide/kaolinite composite with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Bismuth oxyiodide/kaolinite (BiOI/kaolinite) composite material with enhanced photocatalytic activity for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The crystal structure, chemical composition, microstructure, morphology and photoelectrochemical property of the as-prepared samples were characterized. The BiOI/kaolinite composites with different contents of kaolinite (w = 20%, 30%, and 40%) were successfully obtained. The results indicated that the BiOI/kaolinite-30% composite display the best catalytic activity for RhB degradation under visible light irradiation, which can be ascribed to the more robust adsorption capacity and higher charge separation efficiency. In addition, the main active specie during the photocatalytic reaction is h+. All of these results prove the BiOI/kaolinite composite to be a promising visible light photocatalytic candidate among the family of kaolinite materials.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole, Nitenpyram and Tetracycline by Composites of Core Shell g-C3N4@ZnO, and ZnO Defects in Aqueous Phase.

The synthesis of photocatalysts with high charge separation and transfer efficiency are of immense significance in the process of using photocatalysis technology for wastewater treatment. In this study core shell g-C3N4@ZnO, and ZnO defects photocatalysts presented an improved morphology in its characterization using techniques such as SEM, DRS, PL, MS, EIS, and XRD, and enhanced photodegradation of sulfamethoxazole, Nitenpyram and Tetracycline. Different composites were obtained as confirmed by the various characterization techniques studied, including core shell g-C3N4@ZnO, and ZnO defects photocatalyst. The synthesized photocatalysts showed high visible light absorption efficiency within a range of ~655 to 420 nm. Core shell g-C3N4@ZnO, and ZnO defects photocatalysts demonstrated high photocatalytic activity ascribed to high load separation and transition as shown in PL, Photocurrent reaction and EIS. It is understandable that core shell g-C3N4@ZnO, and ZnO defects photocatalysts have been confirmed to be one of the ultimate promising entrants for photocatalyst scheming.

Exfoliation method matters: The microstructure-dependent photoactivity of g-C3N4 nanosheets for water purification

Exfoliation of carbon nitride (g-C3N4) into an ultrathin nanostructure significantly improves its photoactivity. However, the effects of the exfoliation method on the microstructure and photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4 nanosheets remain largely unknown. Herein, several typical strategies, such as thermal, chemical, ultrasonic and one-step exfoliation, were applied to exfoliate g-C3N4 nanosheets for photocatalytic applications. A procedure capable of controlling the morphology, microstructure, light-absorption property, and visible light photoactivity of g-C3N4 nanosheets was attempted. We found that nanosheets prepared from one-step exfoliation present superior photocatalytic efficiency under visible light than those fabricated by thermal exfoliation and ultrasonic exfoliation. The kinetic constants for bisphenol A (BPA) photodegradation over these samples were determined to be 6.5, 4.5 and 2.3 times higher than bulk g-C3N4, respectively. For chemical exfoliation, excessive oxidation by H2SO4 can lead to the structural defects and deactivation of urea-derived g-C3N4 nanosheets. Carbon nitride nanosheets synthesized by one-step exfoliation exhibited high specific surface area, optimal band gap energy structure, and high charge separation efficiency, thereby increasing visible-light photoactivity. Enabling cost-effective production of ultrathin and robust g-C3N4 nanosheets, one-step exfoliation offers a potential strategy to exploit high-performance g-C3N4 for water purification applications.

Gram-scale batch production of novel CdS hollow hexagonal prisms by a molten salt method and the improved photocatalytic stability

It remains a significant challenge to obtain CdS photocatalysts with high stability on a large scale. In this work, CdS are prepared using a simple KSCN molten salt method (CdS-MS) and conventional hydrothermal method (CdS-HT), respectively. CdS-MS consists of novel hollow hexagonal prisms, which is not reported so far. Under visible light irradiation (λ > 400 nm), CdS-MS shows a higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of phenol, norfloxacin and RhB, which are 2.27, 2.11 and 1.05 times higher than CdS-HT. The higher photocatalytic activity of CdS-MS is mainly attributed to the novel hollow hexagonal prism microstructure and more sulfur defects, leading to the greater oxidation potential and higher charge separation efficiency. Furthermore, CdS-MS shows outstanding cycle stability. After four cycles, 90.6% of the degradation efficiency is retained for CdS-MS, while only 68.3% of the degradation efficiency is retained for CdS-HT. The higher stability of CdS-MS is mainly attributed to its unique morphology and surface valence of sulfur, which make it more difficult to agglomerate and occur photocorrosion, respectively. The reported method is simple and high-yielding, which is easy to extend to mass production.

Fabrication and characterization of carbon quantum dots decorated hollow porous graphitic carbon nitride through polyaniline for photocatalysis

Metal-free photocatalysts are widely used to decontaminate aqueous solutions by eliminating toxic and non-biodegradable compounds. It is desirable to develop a photocatalyst with high charge separation and migration efficiency. The addition of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) to graphitic carbon nitride with polyaniline (PANI) can improve its light absorption abilities and reduce the recombination of holes and electrons. In this study, a novel CQDs decorated on PANI with hollow porous graphitic carbon nitride (CN) was fabricated via an in situ polymerization followed by an ultra-sonication. The optimal CQDs–loaded CN-PANI nanocomposite exhibited the high visible light absorption with a high specific surface area. Furthermore, better photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) was achieved under the visible light. The improved photocatalytic activity of CN-PANI-CQDs (5.0%) can be attributed to its higher charge separation, and destruction of recombination rate through the heterojunction of excited electrons among CN, PANI, and CQDs. This effect was further confirmed by high photocurrent intensity, low photoluminescence emission, and electrical resistance. In addition, different parameters including catalyst weight, initial CIP concentration, and interfering effect of anions during CIP removal were investigated. The main active species in the degradation of CIP were identified to h+, •OH, and •O2− through the scavenger test. The high reusability and stability of the photocatalyst composite were also verified. The degradation intermediates and reaction pathways were identified. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the photocatalyst was evaluated using different toxic pollutants including imidacloprid, tetracycline, phenol, and rhodamine B under similar conditions. The CQDs–decorated CN-PANI was proved as a promising material for efficient photodegradation of toxic pollutants in water.

Edge-Rich Bicrystalline 1T/2H-MoS2 Cocatalyst-Decorated {110} Terminated CeO2 Nanorods for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Developing all-solid-state Z-scheme systems with highly active photocatalysts are of huge interest in realizing long-term solar-to-fuel conversion. Here we reported an innovative hybrid of {110}-oriented CeO2 nanorods with edge-enriched bicrystalline 1T/2H-MoS2 coupling as efficient photocatalysts for water splitting. In the composites, the metallic 1T phase acts as an excellent solid state electron mediator in the Z-scheme, while the 2H phase and CeO2 are the adsorption sites of the photosensitizer and reactant (H2O), respectively. Through optimal structure and phase engineering, 1T/2H-MoS2@CeO2 heterojunctions simultaneously achieve high charge separation efficiency, proliferated density of exposed active sites, and excellent affinity to reactant molecules, reaching a superior hydrogen evolution rate of 73.1 μmol/h with an apparent quantum yield of 8.2% at 420 nm. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations show that 1T/2H-MoS2@CeO2 possesses the advantages of intensive electronic interaction from the built-in electric field (negative MoS2 and positive charged CeO2) and reduced H2O adsorption/dissociation energies. This work sheds light on the design of on-demand noble-metal-free Z-scheme heterostructures for solar energy conversion.

Sea-urchin-like ReS2 nanosheets with charge edge-collection effect as a novel cocatalyst for high-efficiency photocatalytic H2 evolution

The recombination of charge carriers arriving from the random charge movement in semiconductor photocatalysts greatly limits the practical application of solar-driven H2 evolution. The design of photocatalytic systems with spatially oriented charge-transfer is a promising route to achieve high charge-separation efficiency for photocatalysts. Herein, novel sea-urchin-like ReS2 nanosheet/TiO2 nanoparticle heterojunctions (SURTHs) are constructed. The unique sea-urchin-like structure endows the ReS2 cocatalyst with an unusual charge edge-collection effect, which leads to a significant acceleration of charge separation and transfer, as evidenced by the well-designed selective photodeposition of Pt quantum dots in SURTHs. The markedly improved charge transfer capacity contributes to a high photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 3.71 mmol h−1 g−1 for SURTHs (an apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 16.09%), up to 231.9 times by contrast with that of P25 TiO2. This work would provide a new platform for designing the high-efficiency cocatalyst/photocatalyst system with excellent charge transfer capacity.

Self-accelerating photocharge separation in BiOBr ultrathin nanosheets for boosting photoreversible color switching

Photoreversible color switching materials (PCSMs) are promising for applications in optical information storage and security features. However, conventional inorganic PCSMs such as semiconductor oxides generally suffer from slow color switching speed and limited reversibility. Here we report a fast light-responsive color switching and high reversible inorganic PCSM based on oxygen vacancies BiOBr ultrathin nanosheets. Owing to the unique 2D ultrathin structure and oxygen vacancies, the BiOBr ultrathin nanosheets possess high photoreductive activity and fast charge separation and transfer efficiency under ultraviolet (UV) illumination to initiate color changing from light yellow to brown black. Importantly, UV illumination induced oxygen vacancies during color switching process act as self-accelerating charge separation centers to further boost the photoreversible color switching. By integrating BiOBr ultrathin nanosheets with agarose as matrix, the freestanding BiOBr ultrathin nanosheets/agarose nanocomposite film exhibit outstanding photoreversible color switching properties, including coloration in 1 min under UV illumination, decoloration in 15 min in ambient air, and high reversibility (≥100 cycles). Moreover, we demonstrate the application of nanocomposite films in time-sensitive, self-erasing rewritable paper with long-awaited positive imaging mode and black color. This work presents the possibility of developing high-efficient inorganic PCSMs that could be significantly broad their practical applications.

Photocatalytic Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+) Over BiOI Calcined at Different Temperature Under Visible Light Irradiation

AbstractSynthesis of photocatalysts with high charge separation and transfer efficiency are of huge significance in the photocatalytic waste water treatment technology. Herein, we report the phase transformation of bismuth oxyiodide through the facile calcination of BiOI microsphere at different temperatures. Different phases including BiOI, Bi4O5I2 and Bi5O7I were obtained as confirmed by different characterization techniques studied. The synthesized photocatalysts depicted high visible light absorption efficiency in a range of ∼ 655 to 420 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized photocatalyst were studied on the reduction of the highly carcinogenic and toxic hexavalent chromium as the representative heavy metal in waste water. Bi4O5I2 depicted high photocatalytic activity (k=0.0366 min−1) which was ascribed to high charge separation and transfer as evidenced in PL, photocurrent response and EIS. This study may furnish a new concept in designing a series of phases that are more advantageous in solar energy conversion.

Polydopamine-Mediated Ag and ZnO as an Active and Recyclable SERS Substrate for Rhodamine B with Significantly Improved Enhancement Factor and Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation

We demonstrate the development of an active multicomponent Ag/PDA/ZnO@GMF surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate via introducing bio-inspired polydopamine (PDA) in between a noble metal (AgNPs) and ZnO nanorods. The insertion of PDA enabled efficient charge redistribution between metal and semiconductor through their aromatic cores. The substrate exhibited a high enhancement factor (EF) of 1010 for the organic pollutant dye Rhodamine B (RhB). Subsequent exposure of a RhB-loaded substrate to an external UV light source developed an efficient pathway for RhB degradation and replenished the substrate for multiple usage cycles with remarkable photostability. Thus, enhanced performance of the substrate in terms of light-harvesting capability and high charge-separation efficiency was observed. In addition, the much larger surface area of the branched ZnO nanostructures served as a template for PDA assisted synthesis and controlled deposition of AgNPs, which further improved the SERS effect. Our work seeks to understand the contributions of the noble metal and semiconductor components and the synergistic effects of combining them with a facile charge transport medium to enable the fabrication of highly efficient SERS substrates for use in industrial and environmental applications.

A Three-Component Hybrid Templated by Asymmetric Viologen Exhibiting Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Degradation on Dye Pollutant in Maritime Accident Seawater

The increasing dangerous chemical pollutants led by shipping accidents call for the new pollutant treatment strategy. In this work, a new three-component hybrid {[(BiI6)I13]·2I3·(H-BPA)4}n (1) can be used in dye degradation in seawater. The highly interesting feature of 1 lies in its unique 1-D Z-shape [(BiI6)I13]n6− infinite chain constructed from the I···I contacts between mono-nuclear (BiI6)3− anions and I133− polyiodide anions. Finally, the hydrogen bonds between [(BiI6)I13]n6− polyanions and H-BPA2+ cations contribute to the formation a quasi-3-D network. Specifically, 1 exhibits the wide absorption zone from ultraviolet to visible regions and high charge-separation efficiency, hinting its application in visible-light catalysis. As expected, 1 represents photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B in seawater with degradation ratio of 90%, and the photocatalytic performance is stable. This work might provide new photocatalytic material for pollutant treatment in shipping accidents.

Correlating structural assemblies of photosynthetic reaction centers on a gold electrode and the photocurrent - potential response

SummaryThe use of biomacromolecules is a nascent development in clean alternative energies. In applications of biosensors and biophotovoltaic devices, the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center (RC) is a protein-pigment complex that has been commonly interfaced with electrodes, in large part to take advantage of the long-lived and high efficiency of charge separation. We investigated assemblies of RCs on an electrode that range from monolayer to multilayers by measuring the photocurrent produced when illuminated by an intensity-modulated excitation light source. In addition, atomic force microscopy and modeling of the photocurrent with the Marcus-Hush-Chidsey theory detailed the reorganization energy for the electron transfer process, which also revealed changes in the RC local environment due to the adsorbed conformations. The local environment in which the RCs are embedded significantly influenced photocurrent generation, which has implications for electron transfer of other biomacromolecules deposited on a surface in sensor and photovoltaic applications employing a redox electrolyte.

Synergetic utilization of 3D materials merits and unidirectional electrons transfer of Schottky junction for optimizing optical absorption and charge kinetics

Despite plenty of works involve in Schottky junction to optimizing charge kinetics have been researched, some issues still bother us. For example, why photo-excited electrons transfer from semiconductor to metal in Schottky junction, and can we realize the formation of Schottky junction is the nature property of materials and unrelated to light, etc. To analyze the mechanism of Schottky junction, a novel 3D weed g-C3N4/flowerlike NiS composite (TCN/NiS) was designed. The existence of Schottky junction was proved by DFT calculations. The high charge separation efficiency in TCN/NiS was reflected in the photo-electrochemical characterization, and was also verified by the photocatalytic degradation of a representative organophosphorus pesticides chlorpyrifos with a high degradation efficiency of 86 %. Especially, about how and why the energy band of TCN bending, and why photo-excited electrons transfer from TCN to NiS were explained elaborated. The deep understanding of Schottky junction helps to construct high efficiency photocatalysts.

Insights into the Mechanism of the Bi/BiVO4 Composites for Improved Photocatalytic Activity

The increasing concentration of residual ciprofloxacin (CIP) can cause potential harm to the environment. Photocatalysis has been regarded as an effective method for the degradation of CIP. Bi/BiVO4 with excellent photocatalytic performance was synthesized partial reduction with NaBH4. The structure, morphology, composition, and optical performance of BiVO4 and Bi/BiVO4 were characterized by a variety of techniques. The results showed that the Bi/BiVO4 exhibits high photocatalytic activity in the degradation of CIP. Comparison of BiVO4 and Bi/BiVO4 has lower photoluminescence intensity and higher photocurrent responses intensity. The introduction of Bi made Bi/BiVO4 have a higher charge separation efficiency and generate more active free radicals. In addition, the radical trapping experiments revealed that superoxide free radicals and holes were the main active free radicals during the degradation of CIP. The pathway of CIP degradation was investigated through high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and a possible degradation mechanism was proposed.

Hierarchical Nanoporous BiVO4 Photoanodes with High Charge Separation and Transport Efficiency for Water Oxidation.

To fabricate high efficiency photoanodes for water oxidation, it is highly required to engineer their nanoporous architecture and interface to improve the charge separation and transport efficiency. By focusing on this aspect, we developed hierarchical nanoporous BiVO4 (BV) from solution processed two-dimensional BiOI (BI) crystals. The orientation of the BI crystals was controlled by changing the solvent volume ratios of ethylene glycol (EG) to ethanol (ET), which resulted in different hierarchical and planar BV morphologies through a chemical treatment followed by thermal heating. The morphology with optimal particle dimension, connectivity, and porosity can offer a highly enhanced electrochemically active surface area (ECSA). The hierarchical BV owning a maximum ECSA showed the best photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance in terms of the highest photocurrent density and charge separation efficiency. However, to further improve the performance of the electrode, conformal and ultrathin SnO2 underlayers were deposited by a powerful atomic layer deposition technique at the interface to effectively block the defect density, which significantly improved the photocurrents as high as 3.25 mA/cm2 for sulfite oxidation and 2.55 mA/cm2 for water oxidation at 0.6 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The electrode possessed record charge separation efficiency of 97.1% and charge transfer efficiency of 90.1% at 1.23 VRHE among to-date reported BiVO4-based photoanodes for water oxidation. Furthermore, a maximum applied bias photon-to-current efficiency (ABPE) of 1.61% was found at a potential as low as 0.6 VRHE, which is highly promising to make a tandem cell. These results indicate that the construction of the hierarchical nanoporous photoanode with an enhanced ECSA and its proper interface engineering can significantly improve the PEC performance.

Z-scheme g-C3N4-AQ-MoO3 photocatalyst with unique electron transfer channel and large reduction area for enhanced sunlight photocatalytic hydrogen production

The transfer rate of photo-generated electrons is a critical factor that determines the photocatalytic efficiency of Z-scheme photocatalytic systems. Here, a novel Z-scheme g-C3N4-AQ-MoO3 photocatalyst with anthraquinone (AQ) serving as an e– transfer channel for hydrogen production was proposed. Its enhanced photocatalytic activity is due to the accelerated transfer of e– in the form of charge inside AQ, which also suppresses the recombination of photo-generated e– and h+. In addition, the reduction area is significantly increased by the exfoliation of g-C3N4 into thin layers. Due to the synergistic effect of rapid e– transfer and large reduction area, Z-scheme g-C3N4-AQ-MoO3 has a high hydrogen production efficiency that can reach 2018 μmol/g with the presence of triethanolamine as a hole sacrificial agent after 180 min of simulated sunlight illumination. This work provides a new strategy to design and develop Z-scheme photocatalytic systems with excellent electron migration rates and high charge separation efficiency.

Nanoporous Cubic Silicon Carbide Photoanodes for Enhanced Solar Water Splitting.

Cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) is a promising photoelectrode material for solar water splitting due to its relatively small band gap (2.36 eV) and its ideal energy band positions that straddle the water redox potentials. However, despite various coupled oxygen-evolution-reaction (OER) cocatalysts, it commonly exhibits a much smaller photocurrent (<∼1 mA cm–2) than the expected value (8 mA cm–2) from its band gap under AM1.5G 100 mW cm–2 illumination. Here, we show that a short carrier diffusion length with respect to the large light penetration depth in 3C-SiC significantly limits the charge separation, thus resulting in a small photocurrent. To overcome this drawback, this work demonstrates a facile anodization method to fabricate nanoporous 3C-SiC photoanodes coupled with Ni:FeOOH cocatalyst that evidently improve the solar water splitting performance. The optimized nanoporous 3C-SiC shows a high photocurrent density of 2.30 mA cm–2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (VRHE) under AM1.5G 100 mW cm–2 illumination, which is 3.3 times higher than that of its planar counterpart (0.69 mA cm–2 at 1.23 VRHE). We further demonstrate that the optimized nanoporous photoanode exhibits an enhanced light-harvesting efficiency (LHE) of over 93%, a high charge-separation efficiency (Φsep) of 38%, and a high charge-injection efficiency (Φox) of 91% for water oxidation at 1.23 VRHE, which are significantly outperforming those its planar counterpart (LHE = 78%, Φsep = 28%, and Φox = 53% at 1.23 VRHE). All of these properties of nanoporous 3C-SiC enable a synergetic enhancement of solar water splitting performance. This work also brings insights into the design of other indirect band gap semiconductors for solar energy conversion.

Optimized the Carrier Transport Path and Separation Efficiency of 2D/2D Heterojunction in Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

AbstractIt is a promising strategy that the photoelectrode with high charge transfer rate and separation efficiency is designed in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, the nanoflakes/nanoflakes (2D/2D) MoS2/ZnIn2S4 heterojunction is synthesized by two‐step hydrothermal methods. The carrier transport path in heterojunction is optimized through the Schottky contact calculated by density functional theory (DFT) and large specific surface area between 2D nanoflakes MoS2 and ZnIn2S4. Besides, the bimetallic oxyhydroxide NiFeOOH can be used as co‐catalyst to improve the separation of carriers. The results exhibit that MoS2/ZnIn2S4/NiFeOOH photoelectrode with dramatically enhanced photocurrent density of 0.74 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (VRHE), which is 2.6 and 5.7 times higher than the bare MoS2 and ZnIn2S4, respectively. And it has the largest charge separation efficiency (ηbulk) (22.8 %) and charge transfer efficiency (ηsurface) (64.6 %) in the as‐prepared samples. This work provides a strategy for design of the photoelectrode with excellent charge transfer efficiency and separation efficiency in PEC water splitting.