Enhanced Charge Separation for Efficient Photocatalytic H2 Production by Long-Lived Trap-State-Induced Interfacial Charge Transfer

Photogeneration of charge carriers in semiconductors provides the scientific fundamental for photocatalytic water splitting. However, an ongoing challenge is the development of a new mechanism promoting charge carrier separation. Here we propose a trap-state-induced interfacial charge-transfer transition mechanism (TSICTT), in which electrons in long-lived trap states recombine with holes on the valence band (VB) of the semiconductor, thus prolonging the electron lifetime. We demonstrate this concept in the Sr4Al14O25:Eu2+, Dy3+/CdS (SAO/CdS) heterostructure, where trapped electrons with a lifetime of up to several hours in the SAO persistent luminescence phosphor (PLP) can continuously consume holes on the VB of CdS nanoparticles (NPs). We discover that the interfacial interaction and the work function difference between SAO and CdS are crucial for the TSICTT, which finally contributes to the improved H2 production from 34.4 to 1212.9 μmol gCdS-1 h-1 under visible-light irradiation. This model introduces a new strategy to manipulate charge carrier transport for the effective utilization of solar energy.