Hexahedron Prism-Anchored Octahedronal CeO2: Crystal Facet-Based Homojunction Promoting Efficient Solar Fuel Synthesis

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b05926
• Publication Date: 2015-07-21T03:51:54Z
• Authors: Ping Li; Yong Zhou; Zongyan Zhao; Qinfeng Xu; Xiaoyong Wang; Min Xiao; Zhigang Zou
• Keywords: Homojunction; Prism; Hexahedron; Facet (psychology); Triangular prism; Charge carrier; Acceptor

An unprecedented, crystal facet-based CeO2 homojunction consisting of hexahedron prism-anchored octahedron with exposed prism surface {100} facets and {111} was fabricated through solution-based crystallographic-oriented epitaxial growth. The photocatalysis experiment reveals that growth the arm on allows to activate inert for an increase in phototocatalytic reduction CO2 into methane. pronounced photocatalytic performance is attributed a synergistic effect following three factors: (1) band alignment drives electrons holes surfaces, respectively, aiming reach most stable energy configuration leading spatial charge separation long duration; (2) verified by interfacial lattice fringe provides convenient fast channels photogenerated carrier transportation between two units homojuntion; (3) different effective mass faces leads high mobility, more facilitating separation. proposed this work may provide new concept efficient transfer photoinduced carriers enhancement performance.