IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-28944-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Binary dopant segregation enables hematite-based heterostructures for highly efficient solar H2O2 synthesis

Author

Listed:
  • Zhujun Zhang

    (Molecular Photoscience Research Center, Kobe University)

  • Takashi Tsuchimochi

    (Kobe University
    PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST))

  • Toshiaki Ina

    (Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute)

  • Yoshitaka Kumabe

    (Molecular Photoscience Research Center, Kobe University)

  • Shunsuke Muto

    (Nagoya University, Furo-Cho, Chikusa-Ku)

  • Koji Ohara

    (Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute)

  • Hiroki Yamada

    (Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute)

  • Seiichiro L. Ten-no

    (Kobe University
    Kobe University)

  • Takashi Tachikawa

    (Molecular Photoscience Research Center, Kobe University
    Kobe University)

Abstract

Dopant segregation, frequently observed in ionic oxides, is useful for engineering materials and devices. However, due to the poor driving force for ion migration and/or the presence of substantial grain boundaries, dopants are mostly confined within a nanoscale region. Herein, we demonstrate that core–shell heterostructures are formed by oriented self-segregation using one-step thermal annealing of metal-doped hematite mesocrystals at relatively low temperatures in air. The sintering of highly ordered interfaces between the nanocrystal subunits inside the mesocrystal eliminates grain boundaries, leaving numerous oxygen vacancies in the bulk. This results in the efficient segregation of dopants (~90%) on the external surface, which forms their oxide overlayers. The optimized photoanode based on hematite mesocrystals with oxide overlayers containing Sn and Ti dopants realises high activity (~0.8 μmol min−1 cm−2) and selectivity (~90%) for photoelectrochemical H2O2 production, which provides a wide range of application for the proposed concept.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhujun Zhang & Takashi Tsuchimochi & Toshiaki Ina & Yoshitaka Kumabe & Shunsuke Muto & Koji Ohara & Hiroki Yamada & Seiichiro L. Ten-no & Takashi Tachikawa, 2022. "Binary dopant segregation enables hematite-based heterostructures for highly efficient solar H2O2 synthesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-28944-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28944-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28944-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-28944-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhenfeng Bian & Takashi Tachikawa & Peng Zhang & Mamoru Fujitsuka & Tetsuro Majima, 2014. "A nanocomposite superstructure of metal oxides with effective charge transfer interfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-9, May.
    2. Hye-In Yoon & Dong-Kyu Lee & Hyung Bin Bae & Gi-Young Jo & Hee-Suk Chung & Jin-Gyu Kim & Suk-Joong L. Kang & Sung-Yoon Chung, 2017. "Probing dopant segregation in distinct cation sites at perovskite oxide polycrystal interfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Xinjian Shi & Samira Siahrostami & Guo-Ling Li & Yirui Zhang & Pongkarn Chakthranont & Felix Studt & Thomas F. Jaramillo & Xiaolin Zheng & Jens K. Nørskov, 2017. "Understanding activity trends in electrochemical water oxidation to form hydrogen peroxide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-6, December.
    4. Zhujun Zhang & Izuru Karimata & Hiroki Nagashima & Shunsuke Muto & Koji Ohara & Kunihisa Sugimoto & Takashi Tachikawa, 2019. "Interfacial oxygen vacancies yielding long-lived holes in hematite mesocrystal-based photoanodes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    5. Yotam Y. Avital & Hen Dotan & Dino Klotz & Daniel A. Grave & Anton Tsyganok & Bhavana Gupta & Sofia Kolusheva & Iris Visoly-Fisher & Avner Rothschild & Arik Yochelis, 2018. "Two-site H2O2 photo-oxidation on haematite photoanodes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lejing Li & Zhuofeng Hu & Yongqiang Kang & Shiyu Cao & Liangpang Xu & Luo Yu & Lizhi Zhang & Jimmy C. Yu, 2023. "Electrochemical generation of hydrogen peroxide from a zinc gallium oxide anode with dual active sites," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Wei Wang & Qun Song & Qiang Luo & Linqian Li & Xiaobing Huo & Shipeng Chen & Jinyang Li & Yunhong Li & Se Shi & Yihui Yuan & Xiwen Du & Kai Zhang & Ning Wang, 2023. "Photothermal-enabled single-atom catalysts for high-efficiency hydrogen peroxide photosynthesis from natural seawater," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Hao Wu & Lei Zhang & Aijun Du & Rowshanak Irani & Roel Krol & Fatwa F. Abdi & Yun Hau Ng, 2022. "Low-bias photoelectrochemical water splitting via mediating trap states and small polaron hopping," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Zhishun Wei & Tharishinny Raja Mogan & Kunlei Wang & Marcin Janczarek & Ewa Kowalska, 2021. "Morphology-Governed Performance of Multi-Dimensional Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Generation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-37, November.
    5. Camilo A. Mesa & Michael Sachs & Ernest Pastor & Nicolas Gauriot & Alice J. Merryweather & Miguel A. Gomez-Gonzalez & Konstantin Ignatyev & Sixto Giménez & Akshay Rao & James R. Durrant & Raj Pandya, 2024. "Correlating activities and defects in (photo)electrocatalysts using in-situ multi-modal microscopic imaging," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Changmin Kim & Sung O Park & Sang Kyu Kwak & Zhenhai Xia & Guntae Kim & Liming Dai, 2023. "Concurrent oxygen reduction and water oxidation at high ionic strength for scalable electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Heng Zhu & Ximei Lv & Yuexu Wu & Wentao Wang & Yuping Wu & Shicheng Yan & Yuhui Chen, 2024. "Carbonate-carbonate coupling on platinum surface promotes electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Hye-Sung Kim & Ji-Sang An & Hyung Bin Bae & Sung-Yoon Chung, 2023. "Atomic-scale observation of premelting at 2D lattice defects inside oxide crystals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    9. Chencheng Qin & Xiaodong Wu & Lin Tang & Xiaohong Chen & Miao Li & Yi Mou & Bo Su & Sibo Wang & Chengyang Feng & Jiawei Liu & Xingzhong Yuan & Yanli Zhao & Hou Wang, 2023. "Dual donor-acceptor covalent organic frameworks for hydrogen peroxide photosynthesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Yunchang Liang & Karla Banjac & Kévin Martin & Nicolas Zigon & Seunghwa Lee & Nicolas Vanthuyne & Felipe Andrés Garcés-Pineda & José R. Galán-Mascarós & Xile Hu & Narcis Avarvari & Magalí Lingenfelder, 2022. "Enhancement of electrocatalytic oxygen evolution by chiral molecular functionalization of hybrid 2D electrodes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    11. Lei Fan & Xiaowan Bai & Chuan Xia & Xiao Zhang & Xunhua Zhao & Yang Xia & Zhen-Yu Wu & Yingying Lu & Yuanyue Liu & Haotian Wang, 2022. "CO2/carbonate-mediated electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    12. Chenyang Xu & Hongxin Wang & Hongying Guo & Ke Liang & Yuanming Zhang & Weicong Li & Junze Chen & Jae Sung Lee & Hemin Zhang, 2024. "Parallel multi-stacked photoanodes of Sb-doped p–n homojunction hematite with near-theoretical solar conversion efficiency," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Tian Liu & Zhenhua Pan & Junie Jhon M. Vequizo & Kosaku Kato & Binbin Wu & Akira Yamakata & Kenji Katayama & Baoliang Chen & Chiheng Chu & Kazunari Domen, 2022. "Overall photosynthesis of H2O2 by an inorganic semiconductor," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    14. Ke Xie & Adnan Ozden & Rui Kai Miao & Yuhang Li & David Sinton & Edward H. Sargent, 2022. "Eliminating the need for anodic gas separation in CO2 electroreduction systems via liquid-to-liquid anodic upgrading," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-28944-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.