Interface redox-induced synthesis of SrTiO3/alpha-Fe2O3 for much improved hydrogen production

Semiconductor heterostructures are one of the most promising materials for hydrogen energy production. However, the low hydrogen production rate of current materials becomes a bottleneck. To this end, we designed an interface redox-induced synthesis (IRIS) approach to fabricate SrTiO3/alpha-Fe2O3 heterojunction with broadband absorption for efficient hydrogen production by the photolysis of water. The hydrogen production rate and output reached 9.8 mmol g(-1) h(-1) and 235.2 mu mol, and the hydrogen production in 12 h of the material from the IRIS approach was 47 times higher than that of similar materials fabricated from other methods. Detailed experimental characterization and theoretical computation revealed that the much-improved performance is contributed by the tight bonding of two materials and the desired band structure at the interface. The working mechanism and the synthesis approach provide an essential guideline for designing photocatalysts for renewable energy, water treatment, and other applications.