Quantum mechanics

Catalysis

Oxygen evolution

Engineering

Chemical physics

Electrochemistry

Photochemistry

Metallurgy

Materials science

Tungsten

Biochemistry

Chemical engineering

Physical chemistry

Physics

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Oxygen

Chemistry

Electrode

Electron

Photocatalysis

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Overall water splitting efficiency is mainly restricted by the slow kinetics of oxygen evolution. Therefore, it is essential to develop active oxygen evolution catalysts. In this regard, we designed and synthesized a tungsten oxide catalyst with oxygen vacancies for photocatalytic oxygen evolution, which exhibited a higher oxygen evolution rate of 683 µmol·h -1 ·g -1 than that of pure WO 3 (159 µmol·h -1 ·g -1 ). Subsequent study through transient absorption spectroscopy found that the oxygen vacancies can produce electron trapping states to inhibit the direct recombination of photogenerated carriers. Additionally, a Pt cocatalyst can promote electron trapped states to participate in the reaction to improve the photocatalytic performance further. This work uses femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to explain the photocatalytic oxygen evolution mechanism of inorganic materials and provides new insights into the design of high-efficiency water-splitting catalysts.

Steering Electron–Hole Migration Pathways Using Oxygen Vacancies in Tungsten Oxides to Enhance Their Photocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Performance