An orthophosphate semiconductor with photooxidation properties under visible-light irradiation

Zhiguo Yi; Jinhua Ye; Naoki Kikugawa; Tetsuya Kako; Shuxin Ouyang; Hilary Stuart-Williams; Hui Yang; Junyu Cao; Wenjun Luo; Zhaosheng Li; Yun Liu; Ray L. Withers

doi:10.1038/nmat2780

An orthophosphate semiconductor with photooxidation properties under visible-light irradiation

Zhiguo Yi, Jinhua Ye^*, Naoki Kikugawa, Tetsuya Kako, Shuxin Ouyang, Hilary Stuart-Williams, Hui Yang, Junyu Cao, Wenjun Luo, Zhaosheng Li, Yun Liu, Ray L. Withers

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1930 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The search for active semiconductor photocatalysts that directly split water under visible-light irradiation remains one of the most challenging tasks for solar-energy utilization^1-6. Over the past 30 years, the search for such materials has focused mainly on metal-ion substitution as in In _1-x Ni_x TaO₄ and (V-,Fe-or Mn-)TiO ₂(refs 7,8), non-metal-ion substitution as in TiO_2-x N_x and Sm₂ Ti₂O₅S₂ (refs 9,10) or solid-solution fabrication as in (Ga_1-xZn _x)(N_1-xO_x) and ZnS-CuInS₂-AgInS ₂(refs 11,12). Here we report a new use of Ag₃PO ₄ semiconductor, which can harness visible light to oxidize water as well as decompose organic contaminants in aqueous solution. This suggests its potential as a photofunctional material for both water splitting and waste-water cleaning. More generally, it suggests the incorporation of p block elements and alkali or alkaline earth ions into a simple oxide of narrow bandgap as a strategy to design new photoelectrodes or photocatalysts.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	559-564
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nature Materials
Volume	9
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat2780
Publication status	Published - Jul 2010

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title = "An orthophosphate semiconductor with photooxidation properties under visible-light irradiation",

abstract = "The search for active semiconductor photocatalysts that directly split water under visible-light irradiation remains one of the most challenging tasks for solar-energy utilization1-6. Over the past 30 years, the search for such materials has focused mainly on metal-ion substitution as in In 1-x Nix TaO4 and (V-,Fe-or Mn-)TiO 2(refs 7,8), non-metal-ion substitution as in TiO2-x Nx and Sm2 Ti2O5S2 (refs 9,10) or solid-solution fabrication as in (Ga1-xZn x)(N1-xOx) and ZnS-CuInS2-AgInS 2(refs 11,12). Here we report a new use of Ag3PO 4 semiconductor, which can harness visible light to oxidize water as well as decompose organic contaminants in aqueous solution. This suggests its potential as a photofunctional material for both water splitting and waste-water cleaning. More generally, it suggests the incorporation of p block elements and alkali or alkaline earth ions into a simple oxide of narrow bandgap as a strategy to design new photoelectrodes or photocatalysts.",

author = "Zhiguo Yi and Jinhua Ye and Naoki Kikugawa and Tetsuya Kako and Shuxin Ouyang and Hilary Stuart-Williams and Hui Yang and Junyu Cao and Wenjun Luo and Zhaosheng Li and Yun Liu and Withers, {Ray L.}",

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T1 - An orthophosphate semiconductor with photooxidation properties under visible-light irradiation

AU - Yi, Zhiguo

AU - Ye, Jinhua

AU - Kikugawa, Naoki

AU - Kako, Tetsuya

AU - Ouyang, Shuxin

AU - Stuart-Williams, Hilary

AU - Yang, Hui

AU - Cao, Junyu

AU - Luo, Wenjun

AU - Li, Zhaosheng

AU - Liu, Yun

AU - Withers, Ray L.

PY - 2010/7

Y1 - 2010/7

N2 - The search for active semiconductor photocatalysts that directly split water under visible-light irradiation remains one of the most challenging tasks for solar-energy utilization1-6. Over the past 30 years, the search for such materials has focused mainly on metal-ion substitution as in In 1-x Nix TaO4 and (V-,Fe-or Mn-)TiO 2(refs 7,8), non-metal-ion substitution as in TiO2-x Nx and Sm2 Ti2O5S2 (refs 9,10) or solid-solution fabrication as in (Ga1-xZn x)(N1-xOx) and ZnS-CuInS2-AgInS 2(refs 11,12). Here we report a new use of Ag3PO 4 semiconductor, which can harness visible light to oxidize water as well as decompose organic contaminants in aqueous solution. This suggests its potential as a photofunctional material for both water splitting and waste-water cleaning. More generally, it suggests the incorporation of p block elements and alkali or alkaline earth ions into a simple oxide of narrow bandgap as a strategy to design new photoelectrodes or photocatalysts.

AB - The search for active semiconductor photocatalysts that directly split water under visible-light irradiation remains one of the most challenging tasks for solar-energy utilization1-6. Over the past 30 years, the search for such materials has focused mainly on metal-ion substitution as in In 1-x Nix TaO4 and (V-,Fe-or Mn-)TiO 2(refs 7,8), non-metal-ion substitution as in TiO2-x Nx and Sm2 Ti2O5S2 (refs 9,10) or solid-solution fabrication as in (Ga1-xZn x)(N1-xOx) and ZnS-CuInS2-AgInS 2(refs 11,12). Here we report a new use of Ag3PO 4 semiconductor, which can harness visible light to oxidize water as well as decompose organic contaminants in aqueous solution. This suggests its potential as a photofunctional material for both water splitting and waste-water cleaning. More generally, it suggests the incorporation of p block elements and alkali or alkaline earth ions into a simple oxide of narrow bandgap as a strategy to design new photoelectrodes or photocatalysts.

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U2 - 10.1038/nmat2780

DO - 10.1038/nmat2780

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VL - 9

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JO - Nature Materials

JF - Nature Materials

IS - 7

ER -

An orthophosphate semiconductor with photooxidation properties under visible-light irradiation

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