Constructing Sequential Type II Heterojunction CQDs/Bi 2 S 3 /TiNbO Photoanode with Superior Charge Transfer Capability Toward Stable Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

Efficient charge transfer and light-trapping units are pivotal prerequisites in the realm of Ti-based photoanode photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this work, we successfully synthesized a ternary carbon quantum dots/Bi 2 S 3 quantum dots/Nb-doped TiO 2 nanotube arrays (CQDs/Bi 2 S 3 /TiNbO) composite photoanode for PEC water splitting. CQDs/Bi 2 S 3 /TiNbO composite photoanode exhibited a considerably elevated photocurrent density of 8.80 mA cm -2 at 1.23 V vs the reversible hydrogen electrode, which was 20.00 times better than that of TiO 2 (0.44 mA cm -2 ). Furthermore, the CQDs/Bi 2 S 3 /TiNbO composite photoanode attested to exceptional stability, maintaining 92.54% of its initial current after 5 h of stability measurement. Nb-doping boosted the electrical conductivity, facilitating charge transfer at the solid-liquid interface. Moderate amounts of Bi 2 S 3 quantum dots (QDs) and CQDs deposited on TiNbO provided abundant active sites for the electrolyte-photoanode interaction. Simultaneously, Bi 2 S 3 QDs and CQDs synergistically functioned as light-trapping units to broaden the light absorption range from 396 to 530 nm, stimulating increased carrier generation within the composite photoanode. In comparison with pristine TiO, CQDs/Bi 2 S 3 /TiNbO photoanodes possessed a superior ability to promote interfacial reactions. This study may provide a strategy for developing high-performance Ti-based photoanodes with efficient charge transfer and light trapping units for highly driving solar-to-hydrogen conversion.