An orthophosphate semiconductor with photooxidation properties under visible-light irradiation.
The search for active semiconductor photocatalysts that directly split water under visible-light irradiation remains one of the most challenging tasks for solar-energy utilization. Over the past 30 years, the search for such materials has focused mainly on metal-ion substitution as in In(1-x)Ni(x)TaO(4) and (V-,Fe- or Mn-)TiO(2) (refs 7,8), non-metal-ion substitution as in TiO(2-x)N(x) and Sm(2)Ti(2)O(5)S(2) (refs 9,10) or solid-solution fabrication as in (Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x)) and ZnS-CuInS(2)-AgInS(2) (refs 11,12). Here we report a new use of Ag(3)PO(4) semiconductor, which can harness visible light to oxidize water as well as decompose organic contaminants in aqueous solution. This suggests its potential as a photofunctional material for both water splitting and waste-water cleaning. More generally, it suggests the incorporation of p block elements and alkali or alkaline earth ions into a simple oxide of narrow bandgap as a strategy to design new photoelectrodes or photocatalysts.
Yi
Zhiguo
Z
Photocatalytic Materials Center, and International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), and Innovative Center of Nanomaterials Science for Environment and Energy (ICNSEE), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan.
Ye
Jinhua
J
Kikugawa
Naoki
N
Kako
Tetsuya
T
Ouyang
Shuxin
S
Stuart-Williams
Hilary
H
Yang
Hui
H
Cao
Junyu
J
Luo
Wenjun
W
Li
Zhaosheng
Z
Liu
Yun
Y
Withers
Ray L
RL
D002384:Catalysis; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray / Q000379:methods; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D007477:Ions; D008027:Light; D008422:Materials Testing; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry*; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D012666:Semiconductors; D018030:Silver Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
D007477:Ions; D008670:Metals; D010710:Phosphates; D018030:Silver Compounds; D010100:Oxygen; C039072:silver phosphate