Review on the Application of Semiconductor Heterostructures in Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution: State-of-the-Art and Outlook

Semiconductor materials, as the core of a system for collecting solar energy, possess excellent carrier separation efficiency and photochemical stability in the photocatalytic process. Single semiconductor materials as photocatalysts suffer from disadvantages such as low visible light absorption performance and quick photoelectron recombination rate. The photocatalytic efficiency can be significantly improved by constructing heterogeneous structures. In this review, the practical application of heterostructure semiconductor materials developed in recent years for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in photocatalysis is described. Five kinds of semiconductor heterostructures commonly used in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution are highlighted. Since the construction of nanomaterial heterostructures enhances photocatalytic activity, we describe in detail the fundamental understanding of the hydrogen evolution capabilities and principles of different photocatalysts. In particular, the effect of the formation of heterostructures on the hydrogen evolution ability in terms of enhanced visible light absorption and accelerated charge transfer is discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects of the practical application of semiconductor heterostructures in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution are introduced. This review provides a reference for the study of photocatalytic semiconductor heterostructures.