title: Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over β-iron silicide under infrared-light irradiation.
abstract: We investigated the ability of β-iron silicide (β-FeSi2) to serve as a hydrogen (H2)-evolution photocatalyst due to the potential of its conduction band bottom, which may allow thermodynamically favorable H2 evolution in spite of its small band-gap of 0.80 eV. β-FeSi2 had an apparent quantum efficiency for H2 evolution of ∼24% up to 950 nm (near infrared light), in the presence of the dithionic acid ion (S2O6(2-)) as a sacrificial agent. It was also sensitive to infrared light (>1300 nm) for H2 evolution.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimizu
authors.forename: Ryoya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saegusa
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Funakubo
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Irie