Citation: Hailing Huo, Zikun Liang, Yuanyong Huang, Zhongkai Xie, Cai Ning, Erjun Kan, Ang Li, Weidong Shi. Fermi-level-gradient-driven unidirectional electron transfer in TiO₂/Au-Pt for broad-spectrum photocatalytic hydrogen production[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(12): 112447. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2026.112447 shu

Fermi-level-gradient-driven unidirectional electron transfer in TiO₂/Au-Pt for broad-spectrum photocatalytic hydrogen production

Hailing Huo ^a ,
Zikun Liang ^{b, *,} ,
Yuanyong Huang ^a ,
Zhongkai Xie ^a ,
Cai Ning ^a ,
Erjun Kan ^{b, *,} ,
Ang Li ^{b, *,} ,
Weidong Shi ^{a, c, *,}

a.
College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
b.
MIIT Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Microstructure and Quantum Sensing, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
c.
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

liangzikun@njust.edu.cn

ekan@njust.edu.cn

liang2100@njust.edu.cn

swd1978@ujs.edu.cn

Received Date: 14 November 2025
Revised Date: 19 January 2026
Accepted Date: 22 January 2026
Available Online: 23 January 2026

Figures(6)

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water is considered a promising route for solar energy utilization. However, the efficiency of plasmonic photocatalysts under broad-spectrum sunlight remains hampered by inefficient charge management. Systems such as TiO₂/Au suffer from electron counterflow under simultaneous UV and visible excitation: UV-excited electrons in TiO₂ migrate toward Au, while visible-light-induced hot electrons from Au inject into TiO₂, resulting in severe recombination losses. Here, we construct a ternary TiO₂/Au-Pt heterostructure with a deliberately aligned Fermi-level gradient (TiO₂ → Au → Pt), establishing a unidirectional, downhill electron-transfer pathway. This stepwise energy alignment channels both UV- and visible-light-excited electrons sequentially to Pt catalytic sites, effectively suppressing charge counterflow and maximizing electron utilization. Consequently, TiO₂/Au-Pt achieves a remarkable H₂ evolution rate of 16.67 mmol g^-1 h^-1 under broad-spectrum irradiation, surpassing those of TiO₂/Au and TiO₂/Pt by factors of 3.18 and 2.32, respectively, while maintaining excellent stability over 20 h. This Fermi-level-guided strategy provides a general paradigm for engineering multicomponent photocatalysts with optimized interfacial energetics toward efficient broad-spectrum solar-to-hydrogen conversion.
- Photocatalysis,
- Charge carrier,
- Electron utilization,
- Photocatalyst,
- Hydrogen evolution
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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

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沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142

Fermi-level-gradient-driven unidirectional electron transfer in TiO2/Au-Pt for broad-spectrum photocatalytic hydrogen production

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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

Fermi-level-gradient-driven unidirectional electron transfer in TiO₂/Au-Pt for broad-spectrum photocatalytic hydrogen production