[en] Periodic structures with alternating refractive indices such as inverse opal photonic crystals are capable of reducing the group velocity of light such that this slowed light can be more efficiently harvested for highly enhanced solar energy conversion. However, the generation, the manipulation and, in particular, the practical applications of these slow photons remain highly challenging. Here, we report the first proof of concept on the ability to control, in an inverse opal TiO2-BiVO4 hetero-composite, the transfer of slow photons generated from the inverse opal photonic structure to the photocatalytically active BiVO4 nanoparticles for highly enhanced visible light photoconversion. Tuning the slow photon frequencies, in order to accommodate the electronic band gap of BiVO4 for slow photon transfer and for significantly improved light harvesting, was successfully achieved by varying the structural periodicity (pore size) of inverse opal and the light incidence angle. The photocatalytic activity of BiVO4 in all inverse opal structures, promoted by slow photon effect, reached up to 7 times higher than those in the non-structured compact films. This work opens new avenues for the practical utilization of slow photon effect under visible light in photocatalytic energy-related applications like water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction and in photovoltaics.
Disciplines :
Physics Chemistry
Author, co-author :
Madanu, Thomas L; Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry (CMI), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles, 61-B-5000 Namur, Belgium
Mouchet, Sébastien ; Université de Mons - UMONS > Faculté des Sciences > Service des Matériaux Micro et Nanophotoniques ; Solid-State Physics Laboratory & Namur Institute of Structured Matter (NISM), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles, 61-B-5000 Namur, Belgium, School of Physics, University of Exeter, Physics Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL, UK
Deparis, Olivier; Solid-State Physics Laboratory & Namur Institute of Structured Matter (NISM), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles, 61-B-5000 Namur, Belgium
Liu, Jing; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Material Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
Li, Yu; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Material Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
Su, Bao-Lian; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Material Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China. Electronic address: bao-lian.su@unamur.be
Language :
English
Title :
Tuning and transferring slow photons from TiO2 photonic crystals to BiVO4 nanoparticles for unprecedented visible light photocatalysis.
Publication date :
15 March 2023
Journal title :
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
ISSN :
0021-9797
eISSN :
1095-7103
Publisher :
Academic Press Inc., United States
Volume :
634
Pages :
290 - 299
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Development Goals :
6. Clean water and sanitation 7. Affordable and clean energy 11. Sustainable cities and communities
R400 - Institut de Recherche en Science et Ingénierie des Matériaux
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique Walloon region
Funding text :
The author acknowledges the support of the Europe Occidentale Francophone (EOF) and Andhra (India) Jesuit provinces in realizing this work. S. R. M. was supported by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS) ( 91400/1.B.309.18F ) and the Maturation Fund of the Walloon Region , as a Postdoctoral Researcher. This research used resources of the Chemistry of Inorganic Materials (CMI) laboratory, Lasers, Optics & Spectroscopies (LOS) Technology Platform ( https://platforms.unamur.be/los ), the Physico-Chemical Characterization (PC 2 ) Technology Platform ( https://platforms.unamur.be/pc2 ) and the Electron Microscopy Service (SME) of UNamur ( http://www.unamur.be/en/sevmel ). SME is a member of the Morphology - Imaging (MORPH-IM) Technology Platform of UNamur.The author acknowledges the support of the Europe Occidentale Francophone (EOF) and Andhra (India) Jesuit provinces in realizing this work. S. R. M. was supported by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS) (91400/1.B.309.18F) and the Maturation Fund of the Walloon Region, as a Postdoctoral Researcher. This research used resources of the Chemistry of Inorganic Materials (CMI) laboratory, Lasers, Optics & Spectroscopies (LOS) Technology Platform (https://platforms.unamur.be/los), the Physico-Chemical Characterization (PC2) Technology Platform (https://platforms.unamur.be/pc2) and the Electron Microscopy Service (SME) of UNamur (http://www.unamur.be/en/sevmel). SME is a member of the Morphology - Imaging (MORPH-IM) Technology Platform of UNamur.
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