Journal article

Authors list: Wang, Mengjiao; Osella, Silvio; Brescia, Rosaria; Liu, Zheming; Gallego, Jaime; Cattelan, Mattia; Crisci, Matteo; Agnoli, Stefano; Gatti, Teresa

Publication year: 2023

Pages: 522-531

Journal: Nanoscale

Volume number: 15

Issue number: 2

ISSN: 2040-3364

eISSN: 2040-3372

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1039/d2nr04970h

Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry

Abstract: 
As a semiconductor used for the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), BiOBr has received intensive attention in recent years. However, the high recombination of photoexcited charge carriers results in poor photocatalytic efficiency. The combination with other photoactive semiconductors might represent a valuable approach to deal with the intrinsic limitations of the material. Given that BiOBr has a 2D structure, we propose a simple liquid-phase exfoliation method to peel BiOBr microspheres into few-layer nanosheets. By tuning the weight ratio between the precursors, we prepare a series of 2D MoS2/BiOBr van der Waals (vdW) heterojunctions and study their behaviour as (photo)electrocatalysts for the HER, finding dramatic differences as a function of weight composition. Moreover, we found that pristine 2D BiOBr and the heterojunctions, with the exception of the 1% MoS2/BiOBr composition, undergo photocorrosion, with BiOBr being reduced to metallic Bi. These findings provide useful guidelines to design novel 2D material-based (photo)electrocatalysts for the production of sustainable fuels.

Harvard Citation style: Wang, M., Osella, S., Brescia, R., Liu, Z., Gallego, J., Cattelan, M., et al. (2023) 2D MoS₂/BiOBr van der Waals heterojunctions by liquid-phase exfoliation as photoelectrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution, Nanoscale, 15(2), pp. 522-531. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2nr04970h

APA Citation style: Wang, M., Osella, S., Brescia, R., Liu, Z., Gallego, J., Cattelan, M., Crisci, M., Agnoli, S., & Gatti, T. (2023). 2D MoS₂/BiOBr van der Waals heterojunctions by liquid-phase exfoliation as photoelectrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. Nanoscale. 15(2), 522-531. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2nr04970h