Charge redistribution of a spatially differentiated ferroelectric Bi4Ti3O12 single crystal for photocatalytic overall water splitting

Abstract Artificial photosynthesis is a promising approach to produce clean fuels via renewable solar energy. However, it is practically constrained by two issues of slow photogenerated carrier migration and rapid electron/hole recombination. It is also a challenge to achieve a 2:1 ratio of H 2 and O 2 for overall water splitting. Here we report a rational design of spatially differentiated two-dimensional Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 nanosheets to enhance overall water splitting. Such a spatially differentiated structure overcomes the limitation of charge transfer across different crystal planes in a single crystal semiconductor. The experimental results show a redistribution of charge within a crystal plane. The resulting photocatalyst produces 40.3 μmol h –1 of hydrogen and 20.1 μmol h –1 of oxygen at a near stoichiometric ratio of 2:1 and a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 0.1% under simulated solar light.