title: Single-Crystal Semiconductors with Narrow Band Gaps for Solar Water Splitting.
abstract: Solar water splitting provides a clean and renewable approach to produce hydrogen energy. In recent years, single-crystal semiconductors such as Si and InP with narrow band gaps have demonstrated excellent performance to drive the half reactions of water splitting through visible light due to their suitable band gaps and low bulk recombination. This Minireview describes recent research advances that successfully overcome the primary obstacles in using these semiconductors as photoelectrodes, including photocorrosion, sluggish reaction kinetics, low photovoltage, and unfavorable planar substrate surface. Surface modification strategies, such as surface protection, cocatalyst loading, surface energetics tuning, and surface texturization are highlighted as the solutions.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Tuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University. jlgong@tju.edu.cn.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China. jlgong@tju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jinlong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
keywords: hydrogen; semiconductors; single crystals; solar water splitting; sustainable chemistry