Particulate metal chalcogenides for photocatalytic Z-scheme overall water splitting

Inspired by natural photosynthesis, photocatalytic Z-scheme overall water splitting (OWS) provides a renewable and scalable way to generate solar fuel of green hydrogen. To construct such efficient systems, it is a prerequisite that the photocatalysts used have the ability to utilize solar light across wide spectral regions. Metal chalcogenides are one kind of such promising narrow band-gap semiconductors with tunable band structures and prominent photoelectronic properties. However, the photocorrosion and sluggish charge transfer kinetics are still the challenges currently. To address these issues, this review is devoted to providing a comprehensive illustration of recent progress in this field. Herein, based on the analysis of the basics of photocatalytic Z-scheme OWS systems and metal chalcogenides, a series of approaches to drive Z-scheme OWS, together with various strategies to prohibit photocorrosion and improve charge carrier utilization, are elaborated. Future prospects and challenges in constructing efficient Z-scheme OWS systems with particulate metal chalcogenides are also discussed.