Nanosized MoP as a cocatalyst over red phosphorus for photocatalytic water splitting

Loading suitable cocatalysts can significantly enhance photocatalytic activity by accelerating photogenerated charge separation and facilitating interfacial redox reactions. Herein, MoP nanoparticles were synthesized in a straightforward phosphorization procedure and then assembled with red phosphorus (RP) as a cocatalyst to construct the MoP/RP coupled photocatalyst. The composite photocatalyst could achieve pure water splitting, with the hydrogen production activity of 427 μmol h-1g−1 under full-arc irradiation and 247 μmol h-1g−1 under visible-light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic property was attributed to the intimate contact between MoP and RP for efficient spatial separation of photogenerated carriers and improved surface reaction. Meanwhile, H2O was oxidized into value-added liquid H2O2, which could contribute to the safe and convenient separation of photocatalytic products for the practical application.