Charge transport phenomena in heterojunction photocatalysts: the WO3/TiO2 system as an archetypical model.
File(s)Manuscript (1).pdf (3.02 MB) Supporting Information.pdf (1.61 MB)
Accepted version
Supporting information
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated the high efficiency through which nanostructured core-shell WO3/TiO2 (WT) heterojunctions can photocatalytically degrade model organic pollutants (stearic acid, QE ≈ 18% @ λ = 365 nm), and as such, has varied potential environmental and antimicrobial applications. The key motivation herein is to connect theoretical calculations of charge transport phenomena, with experimental measures of charge carrier behavior using transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS), to develop a fundamental understanding of how such WT heterojunctions achieve high photocatalytic efficiency (in comparison to standalone WO3 and TiO2 photocatalysts). This work reveals an order of magnitude enhancement in electron and hole recombination lifetimes, respectively located in the TiO2 and WO3 sides, when an optimally designed WT heterojunction photocatalyst operates under UV excitation. This observation is further supported by our computationally captured details of conduction band and valence band processes, identified as (i) dominant electron transfer from WO3 to TiO2 via the diffusion of excess electrons; and (ii) dominant hole transfer from TiO2 to WO3 via thermionic emission over the valence band edge. Simultaneously, our combined theoretical and experimental study offers a time-resolved understanding of what occurs on the micro- to milliseconds (μs-ms) time scale in this archetypical photocatalytic heterojunction. At the microsecond time scale, a portion of the accumulated holes in WO3 contribute to the depopulation of W5+ polaronic states, whereas the remaining accumulated holes in WO3 are separated from adjacent electrons in TiO2 up to 3 ms after photoexcitation. The presence of these exceptionally long-lived photogenerated carriers, dynamically separated by the WT heterojunction, is the origin of the superior photocatalytic efficiency displayed by this system (in the degradation of stearic acid). Consequently, our combined computational and experimental approach delivers a robust understanding of the direction of charge separation along with critical time-resolved insights into the evolution of charge transport phenomena in this model heterojunction photocatalyst.
Date Issued
2021-03-03
Date Acceptance
2021-02-04
Citation
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2021, 13 (8), pp.9781-9793
ISSN
1944-8244
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
9781
End Page
9793
Journal / Book Title
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume
13
Issue
8
Copyright Statement
© 2021 American Chemical Society. This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c19692
Sponsor
The Royal Society
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33595275
Grant Number
RSG\R1\180434
Subjects
WO3/TiO2
charge transport
heterojunction photocatalyst
metal oxide semiconductors
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2021-02-17