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Title: Bandgap- and local field-dependent photoactivity of Ag/black phosphorus nanohybrids

Journal Article · · ACS Catalysis
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [2];  [2]
  1. National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing (People's Republic of China); Peking Univ., Beijing (People's Republic of China); Univ. of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (People's Republic of China)
  2. National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing (People's Republic of China)
  3. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Black phosphorus (BP) is the most exciting post-graphene layered nanomaterial that serendipitously bridges the 2D materials gap between semimetallic graphene and large bandgap transition-metal dichalcogenides in terms of high charge-carrier mobility and tunable direct bandgap, yet research into BP-based solar to chemical energy conversion is still in its infancy. Herein, a novel hybrid photocatalyst with Ag nanoparticles supported on BP nanosheets is prepared using a chemical reduction approach. Spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that Ag nanoparticles are stabilized on BP by covalent bonds at the Ag/BP interface and Ag–Ag interactions. In the visible-light photocatalysis of rhodamine B by Ag/BP plasmonic nanohybrids, a significant rise in photoactivity compared with pristine BP nanosheets is observed either by decreasing BP layer thickness or increasing Ag particle size, with the greatest enhancement being up to ~20-fold. By virtue of finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulations and photocurrent measurements, we give insights into the enhanced photocatalytic performance of Ag/BP nanohybrids, including the effects of BP layer thickness and Ag particle size. In comparison with BP, Ag/BP nanohybrids present intense local field amplification at the perimeter of Ag NPs, which is increased by either decreasing the BP layer thickness from multiple to few layers or increasing the Ag particle size from 20 to 40 nm. Additionally, when the BP layer thickness is decreased from multiple to few layers, the bandgap becomes favorable to generate more strongly oxidative holes in the proximity of the Ag/BP interface to enhance photoactivity. Our findings illustrate a synergy between locally enhanced electric fields and BP bandgap, in which BP layer thickness and Ag particle size can be independently tuned to enhance photoactivity. Lastly, this study may open a new avenue for further exploiting BP-based plasmonic nanostructures in photocatalysis, photodetectors, and photovoltaics.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC00112704
OSTI ID:
1345735
Report Number(s):
BNL-113575-2017-JA; R&D Project: CO040; KC0302010; TRN: US1701364
Journal Information:
ACS Catalysis, Vol. 6, Issue 12; ISSN 2155-5435
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 119 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Visible- and NIR-Light Responsive Black-Phosphorus-Based Nanostructures in Solar Fuel Production and Environmental Remediation journal October 2018
Z-Scheme Photocatalytic Water Splitting on a 2D Heterostructure of Black Phosphorus/Bismuth Vanadate Using Visible Light journal January 2018
Black Phosphorus Nanosheets as a Neuroprotective Nanomedicine for Neurodegenerative Disorder Therapy journal November 2017
Two dimensional semiconductors for ultrasound-mediated cancer therapy: the case of black phosphorus nanosheets journal January 2018
Few layer 2D pnictogens catalyze the alkylation of soft nucleophiles with esters journal January 2019
Tunable transport and optoelectronic properties of monolayer black phosphorus by grafting PdCl 2 quantum dots journal January 2018
Black Phosphorus/Platinum Heterostructure: A Highly Efficient Photocatalyst for Solar-Driven Chemical Reactions journal September 2018
Highly Fluorescent and Stable Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots in Water journal October 2018
Black Phosphorus, a Rising Star 2D Nanomaterial in the Post-Graphene Era: Synthesis, Properties, Modifications, and Photocatalysis Applications journal January 2019
Plasmon resonant amplification of hot electron-driven photocatalysis journal September 2018
Phosphorene for energy and catalytic application—filling the gap between graphene and 2D metal chalcogenides journal September 2017
Black Phosphorus‐Based Semiconductor Heterojunctions for Photocatalytic Water Splitting journal January 2020
A black phosphorus based synergistic antibacterial platform against drug resistant bacteria journal January 2018
Black/red phosphorus quantum dots for photocatalytic water splitting: from a type I heterostructure to a Z-scheme system journal January 2019
Engineering the energy gap of black phosphorene quantum dots by surface modification for efficient chemiluminescence journal January 2020
Recent Progress on Black Phosphorus‐Based Materials for Photocatalytic Water Splitting journal September 2018
Charge Transfer Doping Modulated Raman Scattering and Enhanced Stability of Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots on a ZnO Nanorod journal May 2018
3D reticulated carbon nitride materials high-uniformly capture 0D black phosphorus as 3D/0D composites for stable and efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution journal January 2019
Two-dimensional light-emitting materials: preparation, properties and applications journal January 2018
Ice‐Assisted Synthesis of Black Phosphorus Nanosheets as a Metal‐Free Photocatalyst: 2D/2D Heterostructure for Broadband H 2 Evolution journal May 2019
Functionalized Hybridization of 2D Nanomaterials journal September 2019
Promise and Challenge of Phosphorus in Science, Technology, and Application journal September 2018
Electrostatic assembly of gold nanoparticles on black phosphorus nanosheets for electrochemical aptasensing of patulin journal March 2019
Phosphorene Co-catalyst Advancing Highly Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production journal July 2017
Phosphorene Co‐catalyst Advancing Highly Efficient Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production journal July 2017
Z-Scheme Photocatalytic Water Splitting on a 2D Heterostructure of Black Phosphorus/Bismuth Vanadate Using Visible Light journal January 2018
Few Layer 2D Pnictogens (P & Sb) Catalyze the Alkylation of Soft Nucleophiles with Esters preprint September 2018
Few Layer 2D Pnictogens (P & Sb) Catalyze the Alkylation of Soft Nucleophiles with Esters preprint September 2018
Black Phosphorus/Palladium Nanohybrid: Unraveling the Nature of P−Pd Interaction and Application in Selective Hydrogenation journalarticle January 2019