One-step Chemical Vapor Deposition Research Articles

Visible light photocatalytic properties of one-step SnO2-templated grown SnO2/SnS2 heterostructure and SnS2 nanoflakes

The nanoflakes of SnS2/SnO2 heterostructure and SnS2 were synthesized by a one-step SnO2-templated chemical vapor deposition method. The metal oxide-assisted growth mechanism of SnS2/SnO2 heterostructure and SnS2 nanoflakes were realized through investigating serial microstructures of products with varied growth time. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity for MB dyes degradation of varied growth time products was used to explore the effect of product microstructure under the visible light irradiation. The SnO2/SnS2 heterostructure and the oxide vacancies of nanoflakes demonstrated an improved visible light photocatalytic performance for MB degradation, which was around twice of the pure SnS2 nanoflakes and better than P25. The results of different scavengers on the degradation efficiency for MB indicate the·O2 −, and ·OH are the main active species in the photodegradation reaction. The one-step growth mechanism of SnS2/SnO2 could prove a facile process to grow metal oxide-metal sulfide heterostructure.

Epitaxial growth of atomically thick WSe2 nanoribbons

In this work, we reported on the synthesis of atomically thick WSe2 nanoribbons with straight edges and a maximum lateral size of 85 μm on SiO2/Si substrates via a one-step chemical vapour deposition. Optical microscope, atomic force microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were used to characterize the morphologies and chemical composition of the as-grown WSe2 nanoribbons. Photoluminescence spectra and Raman spectra indicated that the interlayer coupling may be varied with different stacking manner. A vapour–liquid–solid mechanism was proposed to rationalize the formation of WSe2 nanoribbons. Moreover, we showed that WSe2 nanoribbons could also be grown on MoSe2 flakes with the same approach, demonstrating the extendibility of this strategy. Our work provides an efficient method to obtain WSe2 nanoribbons for novel application in catalysts and electronic devices.

One-step vapor deposition of fluorinated polycationic coating to fabricate antifouling and anti-infective textile against drug-resistant bacteria and viruses.

The ongoing pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has turned out to be one of the biggest threats to the world, and the increase of drug-resistant bacterial strains also threatens the human health. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop novel anti-infective materials with broad-spectrum anti-pathogenic activity. In the present study, a fluorinated polycationic coating was synthesized on a hydrophilic and negatively charged polyester textile via one-step initiated chemical vapor deposition of poly(dimethyl amino methyl styrene-co-1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl acrylate) (P(DMAMS-co-PFDA), PDP). The surface characterization results of SEM, FTIR, and EDX demonstrated the successful synthesis of PDP coating. Contact angle analysis revealed that PDP coating endowed the polyester textile with the hydrophobicity against the attachment of different aqueous foulants such as blood, coffee, and milk, as well as the oleophobicity against paraffin oil. Zeta potential analysis demonstrated that the PDP coating enabled a transformation of negative charge to positive charge on the surface of polyester textile. The PDP coating exhibited excellent contact-killing activity against both gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, with the killing efficiency of approximate 99.9%. In addition, the antiviral capacity of PDP was determined by a green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression-based method using lentivirus-EGFP as a virus model. The PDP coating inactivated the negatively charged lentivirus-EGFP effectively. Moreover, the coating showed good biocompatibility toward mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells. All the above properties demonstrated that PDP would be a promising anti-pathogenic polymeric coating with wide applications in medicine, hygiene, hospital, etc., to control the bacterial and viral transmission and infection.

Revealing the many-body interactions and valley-polarization behavior in Re-doped MoS2 monolayers

Substitutional doping has proved to be one of the most important approaches to tune and improve the opto-electronic performance of traditional semiconductors. Similarly, controllable substitution of cations in two-dimensional layered materials can effectively modify and manipulate the band structures, which help to explore sciences and broaden the related applications. In this paper, the salt-assisted one-step chemical vapor deposition method was used to achieve Re substitution in MoS2 monolayers. High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy confirms the substitution of Re atoms in Mo sites. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and micro-photoluminescence (PL) characterization studies suggest that the Re substitution introduces typical n-type doping in MoS2 monolayers, resulting in the distinct many-body interactions in the doped sample with a higher trion ratio than in the pristine sample in the wide temperature window. The result is further confirmed by the shorter recombination lifetime observed in the Re-doped sample acquired by time-resolved PL measurements. More intriguingly, the circularly polarized PL characterization studies demonstrate that Re doping can improve the valley polarization of the MoS2 monolayer. Our work provides a deep understanding of the optical properties and the associated many-body interactions in the Re-doped MoS2 system and offers a potential way to enhance the valley polarization for spin-/valley-photonic applications.

Enhanced microwave absorption performance of ultra-small Zn-doped Fe-C nanoparticles

Ultra-small Zn-doped and non-doped Fe-C nanoparticles are synthesized by one-step metal-organic chemical vapour deposition. Zn-doped Fe-C nanoparticles exhibit an optimal minimum reflection loss of −63.6 dB and a broad effective bandwidth of 7.8 GHz at a thickness of 2.0 mm, which is clearly superior over non-doped Fe-C nanoparticles. A comparative study suggests that the enhanced microwave absorption performance of Zn-doped Fe-C nanoparticles should be related to their degraded dielectric loss and enhanced magnetic loss induced by the Zn-doping effect. These results demonstrate that the strategy of doping effect can effectively tune the dielectric and magnetic losses of magnetic metal-C nanoparticles.

One-step in-situ fabrication of carbon nanotube/stainless steel mesh membrane with excellent anti-fouling properties for effective gravity-driven filtration of oil-in-water emulsions

The occurrence of membrane fouling has resulted in limited wastewater treatment applications. The development of superhydrophilic-underwater superoleophobic materials has received significant attention owing to their good anti-fouling properties. However, to fabricate such materials need costly regents and tedious steps. Thus, developing a one-step process to prepare a low-cost material for oil/water separation is still desired. In this study, bio-inspired from an arachnid, inorganic carbon nanotube stainless steel meshes (CNT@SSMs) having superhydrophilic-underwater superoleophobic and excellent anti-fouling properties and a unique fiber structure were fabricated via a one-step thermal chemical vapor deposition method. The CNT@SSMs had a small pore size enabling a high water flux of 10,639 L m−2h−1 and the separation of oily wastewater, including various emulsions, at a high rejection ratio of >98.89%. As a result of its excellent chemical stability under high temperatures, a broad pH range, and saline environments, the CNT@SSM has the potential to be used in extreme conditions. In summary, these CNT@SSMs are easy to fabricate and are low-cost as a result of inexpensive reagents involved. Moreover, these novel superwetting membranes are promising candidates for treatment of hazardous oily wastewater.

Synthesis, thermal stability, magnetic properties, and microwave absorption applications of CoNi-C core-shell nanoparticles with tunable Co/Ni molar ratio

Magnetic alloy-C core-shell nanoparticles with tunable elemental components are highly expected for their controllable magnetic, catalytic, and electromagnetic properties, and high air stability. Here we present a simple one-step metal organic chemical vapor deposition for the synthesis of CoNi-C core-shell nanoparticles with tunable Co/Ni molar ratio. The as-synthesized nanoparticles have core sizes of 5–50 nm, shell thicknesses of ~5 nm, and tunable Co/Ni molar ratio determined by the molar ratio of Co(acac)3/Ni(acac)2 used in the precursor. The core-shell nanoparticles are very stable in ambient atmosphere at the temperature below 200 °C, and exhibit a slight oxidation in the temperature range of 200–400 °C. The core-shell nanoparticles with Co/Ni molar ratios of 1.27:1, 0.64:1, and 0.30:1 exhibit saturation magnetization values of 41, 31, and 24 emu/g, and coercivity values of 483, 346, and 362 Oe, respectively. It is demonstrated that the microwave absorption parameters of the as-synthesized nanoparticles can be tuned by the Co/Ni molar ratio, which provides a practical strategy to regulate the microwave absorption properties of nanostructured absorbers.

One-step synthesis of single-site vanadium substitution in 1T-WS2 monolayers for enhanced hydrogen evolution catalysis

Metallic tungsten disulfide (WS2) monolayers have been demonstrated as promising electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) induced by the high intrinsic conductivity, however, the key challenges to maximize the catalytic activity are achieving the metallic WS2 with high concentration and increasing the density of the active sites. In this work, single-atom-V catalysts (V SACs) substitutions in 1T-WS2 monolayers (91% phase purity) are fabricated to significantly enhance the HER performance via a one-step chemical vapor deposition strategy. Atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging together with Raman spectroscopy confirm the atomic dispersion of V species on the 1T-WS2 monolayers instead of energetically favorable 2H-WS2 monolayers. The growth mechanism of V SACs@1T-WS2 monolayers is experimentally and theoretically demonstrated. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the activated V-atom sites play vital important role in enhancing the HER activity. In this work, it opens a novel path to directly synthesize atomically dispersed single-metal catalysts on metastable materials as efficient and robust electrocatalysts.

Nanocomposites of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with encapsulated cobalt

A new nanocomposite material involving multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was synthesized using the traditional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The objective of this investigation was to embed and encapsulate metal (cobalt) nanoparticles inside the MWCNTs in a one-step CVD process. The morphological and structural characterization of MWCNTs-based nanocomposites was performed using scanning electron micrscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller theroy (BET surface area), and Raman spectroscopy. HRTEM confirmed the formation of Co encapsulated MWCNTs (Co@MWCNTs), whose average diameter was 27 nm. Surface area of the nanocomposites was determined by the BET method, which was found to be 40 m2 g−1 for the MWCNTs and 120 m2 g−1 for the Co@MWCNTs nanocomposite, respectively. The crystallinity of the MWCNTs and Co@MWCNTs was analyzed using Raman spectra, where the ratio of intensities of D and G band for the MWCNTs was 0.94 and 0.80 for the Co@MWCNTs, respectively. Electrochemical evaluation of the Co@MWCNTs nanocomposite was performed by cyclic voltammetry in 5 M KOH solution. The Co@MWCNTs nanocomposite displayed oxidation in alkaline media with onset potential at 0.55 V vs. SHE. This new approach of synthesizing nanocomposites where metal particles are encapsulated between the walls of MWCNTs could lead to the development of new, efficient and interesting electrocatalysts.

Sulfur-Rich Graphene Nanoboxes with Ultra-High Potassiation Capacity at Fast Charge: Storage Mechanisms and Device Performance.

It is a major challenge to achieve fast charging and high reversible capacity in potassium ion storing carbons. Here, we synthesized sulfur-rich graphene nanoboxes (SGNs) by one-step chemical vapor deposition to deliver exceptional rate and cyclability performance as potassium ion battery and potassium ion capacitor (PIC) anodes. The SGN electrode exhibits a record reversible capacity of 516 mAh g-1 at 0.05 A g-1, record fast charge capacity of 223 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1, and exceptional stability with 89% capacity retention after 1000 cycles. Additionally, the SGN-based PIC displays highly favorable Ragone chart characteristics: 112 Wh kg-1at 505 W kg-1 and 28 Wh kg-1 at 14618 W kg-1 with 92% capacity retention after 6000 cycles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis illustrates a charge storage sequence based primarily on reversible ion binding at the structural-chemical defects in the carbon and the reversible formation of K-S-C and K2S compounds. Transmission electron microscopy analysis demonstrates reversible dilation of graphene due to ion intercalation, which is a secondary source of capacity at low voltage. This intercalation mechanism is shown to be stable even at cycle 1000. Galvanostatic intermittent titration technique analysis yields diffusion coefficients from 10-10 to 10-12 cm2 s-1, an order of magnitude higher than S-free carbons. The direct electroanalytic/analytic comparison indicates that chemically bound sulfur increases the number of reversible ion bonding sites, promotes reaction-controlled over diffusion-controlled kinetics, and stabilizes the solid electrolyte interphase. It is also demonstrated that the initial Coulombic efficiency can be significantly improved by switching from a standard carbonate-based electrolyte to an ether-based one.

Insight into one-step synthesis of active amorphous La-Co thin films for catalytic oxidation of CO

Active amorphous lanthanum-based thin films were synthesized through one-step pulsed spray evaporation chemical vapor deposition (PSE-CVD) technique at 320 °C for CO oxidation. The obtained films were characterized in terms of phase, composition and morphological properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed an amorphous nature of the deposited catalysts; and scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed a transition of morphology due to Co doping from sharp to round shaped edges. Chemical composition analysed by EDS and XPS disclose similar trends in amount of cobalt increment and lanthanum decrement. XPS deconvolution revealed pure lanthanum sample (La100) constitutes mainly of lanthanum oxide and lanthanum hydroxide; while, doping with 10% of cobalt (La90Co10) introduces formation of cobalt ions (Co3+ and Co2+) together with La3+ions and low formation of oxygen lattice. Increment of Co to 20% (La80Co20) resulted increasing of Co2+/Co3+, CO32−/OH−formation ratios and oxygen lattice (Olat) content, which may play a key role in the catalytic activity. Complete oxidation of CO was evaluated by online-FTIR. Based on light-off curves, La80Co20 catalyst exhibited the most efficient catalytic activity with T90 of 203 °C, due to increment of lattice oxygen (Olat), Co2+/Co3+ and CO32−/OH−; while, La90Co10 catalyst exhibited lowest catalytic activity which is linked to low Olat and inhibited catalytic effect of water formed at the surface. Thus, the doping strategy of La by Co at low temperature is a good approach for CO abatement. Moreover, DFT calculations demonstrated that amorphous lanthanum oxide is very feasible for CO adsorption.

One-step synthesis of carbon nanospheres with an encapsulated iron-nickel nanoalloy and its potential use as an electrocatalyst

For many years, in electrochemical processes, carbon nanostructures with metal support have been employed as electrodes due to their high surface area, chemical stability, and excellent performance as catalyst support by allowing a better electronic transfer. Nevertheless, on the surface, metallic nanoparticles are susceptible to corrosion. Instead, by encapsulating individual nanoparticles, they are protected. Among the carbon nanostructures, the most common are graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and carbon nanospheres (CNSs). Unlike CNTs and CNSs, graphene is difficult to obtain in mass production, limiting their applications. Regarding CNTs and CNSs, the latter presents better catalytic activity. Nonetheless, the process of synthesis of CNSs with metal inside is commonly made by time-consuming autoclave processes, some involving more than 43 h, and hence are expensive. Here, we suggest an advantageous synthesis of CNSs with an iron–nickel alloy encapsulated inside, by using a one-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process in less than 3 h. This material has potential applications for environmental and energy processes. According to the authors, the uses of iron-nickel alloys as an electrocatalyst for the ammonia oxidation reaction has not been proved. Thus, we evaluate the composite as an electrocatalyst for the ammonia oxidation reaction, an electrochemical process that offers environmental remediation and hydrogen as a fuel. The electrochemical characterization shows that the use of a bimetallic electrode improves the catalytic activity. In this case, nickel is the active specie and iron is the metal added which reduces the reaction potential. Besides, the composite presents high specific capacitance, better than other materials proposed such as graphene decorated with FeNi alloys. This behavior can be related to the variation of the catalyst morphology (supported vs. encapsulated) by improving the catalyst dispersion and particle size stabilization.

Effects of Alumina Films on N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes/Graphene Composites as Anode Materials of Lithium-Ion Batteries

A carbon nanotubes/graphene composite is grown on nickel foil without additional catalysts by one-step ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Next, the carbon nanotubes/graphene composite is modified by radio frequency (RF) nitrogen plasma. Finally, to improve its initial coulombic efficiency/electrochemical stability, lower potential during the charge process (coin cell), and boost potential during the discharge process (lithium-ion battery), alumina is deposited onto the N-doped carbon nanotubes/graphene composite by RF magnetron sputtering at different power levels and periods of time. The charge specific capacity (597 mAh/g) and initial coulombic efficiency (81.44% > 75.02% for N-doped carbon nanotubes/graphene) of Al2O3/N-doped CNTs/graphene for the coin cell reached a maximum at the best sputtering condition ( power = 65 W and time = 30 min ). Al2O3/N-doped CNTs/graphene (the best sputtering condition) exhibits higher initial coulombic efficiency (79.8%) compared with N-doped CNTs/graphene (initial coulombic efficiency: 74.3%) for the lithium-ion battery. Furthermore, the achievement fraction (about 70%) of full charge capacity (coin cell) for Al2O3/N-doped carbon nanotubes/graphene (the best sputtering condition) is higher than that (about 30%) for N-doped carbon nanotubes/graphene at a voltage lower than about 0.25 V. Moreover, it also shows a little higher electrochemical stability (coin cell) of charge capacity for Al2O3/N-doped carbon nanotubes/graphene (the best sputtering condition) in comparison with N-doped carbon nanotubes/graphene and Al2O3/N-doped CNTs/graphene (the best sputtering condition) exhibits better cyclic stability (lithium-ion battery) of discharge capacity compared with N-doped CNTs/graphene.

SnO2/ZnSnO3 double-shelled hollow microspheres based high-performance acetone gas sensor

In this study, the preparation process and the sensing performance toward acetone of SnO2/ZnSnO3 composite microspheres with the double-shelled hollow structure were reported. It was synthesized by one-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using sucrose as solid precursor pyrolysis carbon template. In addition, the internal structure of the composite microspheres can be effectively controlled by changing the sucrose concentration. The perfect double-shelled hollow structure (average diameter of about 500 nm) of the prepared sensitive materials was observed through SEM and TEM. It is noteworthy that the double-shelled hollow structure had a large specific surface area (188.60 m2/g), which can both increase the internal and external reactive sites of the sensitive material effectively. Compared with other obtained composite microspheres, the SnO2/ZnSnO3 sample with double-shelled hollow structure presented the best sensing performance, and the response to 100 ppm acetone reached 30 at 290 °C. Furthermore, it also presented excellent selectivity and long-term stability to acetone. The excellent performance was attributed to the synergistic effect of the double-shelled hollow structure with large specific surface area and the n-n heterojunction at the interface of the SnO2/ZnSnO3 composite. The sensing mechanisms of the double-shelled hollow SnO2/ZnSnO3 composite material were discussed in detail.

One-step synthesis of highly pure and well-crystallized vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

The one-step aerosol-assisted catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) process, when operated in a H2-based carrier gas, is shown to be effective at an extremely low ferrocene content (0.1 wt% in toluene), which enables to efficiently prepare forests of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) with high purity and good crystalline level. The resulting iron content in VACNT sample is only 0.5 wt% corresponding to a high catalytic yield of 200 while the steady growth rate (20 μm/min) is maintained at a significant value. The iron content in the sample is found proportional to the ferrocene concentration in the precursor, and when it decreases, a noticeable reduction in the iron encapsulation frequency in the nanotube channel is plainly observed. Lowering the ferrocene concentration generates a reduction in the VACNT number density while the growth rate increases and CNT diameters and crystalline structure remain similar. Such significant purity and crystalline levels involves a high oxidation resistance of the VACNT forest. These results, together with the in-situ continuous growth feature of the one-step aerosol assisted CCVD process, open up towards a new VACNT range made of pure and well-crystallized multi-walled carbon nanotubes, which is of interest for industrial production and commercial applications.

Heterogeneous Electronic and Photonic Devices Based on Monolayer Ternary Telluride Core/Shell Structures.

Device engineering based on the tunable electronic properties of ternary transition metal dichalcogenides has recently gained widespread research interest. In this work, monolayer ternary telluride core/shell structures are synthesized using a one-step chemical vapor deposition process with rapid cooling. The core region is the tellurium-rich WSe2-2 x Te2 x alloy, while the shell is the tellurium-poor WSe2-2 y Te2 y alloy. The bandgap of the material is ≈1.45eV in the core region and ≈1.57eV in the shell region. The lateral gradient of the bandgap across the monolayer heterostructure allows for the fabrication of heterogeneous transistors and photodetectors. The difference in work function between the core and shell regions leads to a built-in electric field at the heterojunction. As a result, heterogeneous transistors demonstrate a unidirectional conduction and strong photovoltaic effect. The bandgap gradient and high mobility of the ternary telluride core/shell structures provide a unique material platform for novel electronic and photonic devices.

Fabrication of Flexible Resistive Switching Devices Based on Lead‐Free All‐Inorganic CsSnBr3 Perovskite Using a One‐Step Chemical Vapor Deposition Method

AbstractResistive switching (RS) devices have evolved as one of the most promising candidates in the memory filed due to their excellent endurance and retention, fast switching speed, and extra‐high storage density capability. However, the coexistence of toxic lead cations and low RS performance have largely limited the application of halide perovskite in nonvolatile memory filed. Herein, the lead‐free all‐inorganic perovskite CsSnBr3 films are synthesized on flexible polyimide (PI) substrates through a one‐step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to construct environmentally friendly RS devices. The RS devices with Pt/CsSnBr3/Pt/PI structure exhibit reliable and reproducible bipolar RS characteristics with an ultralow set/reset voltage (≈0.2/−0.15 V) and a high on/off ratio (≈105). Additionally, the RS devices are further tested by robust current–voltage curves under consecutive flexing cycles, exhibiting high mechanical bendability and electrical reliability. This work demonstrates that lead‐free all‐inorganic perovskite CsSnBr3 film is a good candidate as switching media for applications in the next‐generation environmentally friendly RS devices and opens an avenue for future flexible electronics.

Lateral Monolayer MoSe2 -WSe2 p-n Heterojunctions with Giant Built-In Potentials.

2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have exhibited strong application potentials in new emerging electronics because of their atomic thin structure and excellent flexibility, which is out of field of tradition silicon technology. Similar to 3D p-n junctions, 2D p-n heterojunctions by laterally connecting TMDs with different majority charge carriers (electrons and holes), provide ideal platform for current rectifiers, light-emitting diodes, diode lasers and photovoltaic devices. Here, growth and electrical studies of atomic thin high-quality p-n heterojunctions between molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2 ) and tungsten diselenide (WSe2 ) by one-step chemical vapor deposition method are reported. These p-n heterojunctions exhibit high built-in potential (≈0.7 eV), resulting in large current rectification ratio without any gate control for diodes, and fast response time (≈6 ms) for self-powered photodetectors. The simple one-step growth and electrical studies of monolayer lateral heterojunctions open up the possibility to use TMD heterojunctions for functional devices.

Boosted photoelectrochemical performance of In2O3 nanowires via modulating oxygen vacancies on crystal facets

Introducing oxygen vacancies into faceted metal oxide nanostructures will largely boost photoelectrochemical water splitting ability, but currently remains a huge challenge. Herein, a simple one-step chemical vapor deposition method is developed to effectively introduce oxygen vacancies into In2O3 nanowires with the active {001} facets exposed. Theoretical calculations reveal that the introduction of oxygen vacancies produces a new defect level as shallow donor and increases the states of density, thereby enhancing the visible light absorption and promoting the separation and transportation of photogenerated carrier of faceted In2O3 nanowires. The In2O3 nanowires grown at optimal condition yield the maximal photocurrent density of 1 mA/cm2 at 0.22 V versus Ag/AgCl with unity Faradic efficiency. The results demonstrate that introducing oxygen vacancies into faceted photoelectrodes is feasible for further promoting the photoelectrochemical performance. Moreover, the methodology can be extended to other practical optoelectronic devices such as solar cell and photodetectors.

Visible-light photocatalysis and charge carrier dynamics of elemental crystalline red phosphorus.

Elemental red phosphorus (red P) is a new class of photocatalysts with a desirable bandgap of ∼1.7 eV and has a strong visible-light response. Here, we show that the efficiency of red P is limited by severe electron trapping at deep traps that are intrinsic to the different crystal facets of the red P. To overcome this, we synthesized the red P/RGO (reduced graphene oxide) composite in a one-step ampoule chemical vapor deposition synthesis that formed a conducive interface between the red P photocatalyst and the RGO acceptor for efficient interfacial charge transport. As substantiated through photoelectrochemical characterization and ultrafast (femtoseconds) transient absorption spectroscopy, the interfacing with RGO provided a rapid pathway for the photocharges in red P to be interfacially separated, thereby circumventing the slower the charge trapping process. As a result, up to a sevenfold increase in the photocatalytic hydrogen production rate (apparent quantum yield = 3.1% at 650 nm) was obtained for the red P/RGO relative to the pristine red P.