Core-position control of CdSe/CdS nanorod heterostructures for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation

Abstract

Photocatalytic hydrogen production is a promising technology for storing solar energy as hydrogen energy and therefore building a sustainable hydrogen energy society. However, the industrialization of this technology is required to overcome the current low efficiency. In this thesis, we study investigation of optimizing the semiconductor heterostructure design to enhance overall photocatalytic efficiency. Specifically, optimizing CdSe core-position inside CdS nanorod shell (CdSe/CdS dot-in-rod) increases overall photocatalytic activity. As the CdSe core-position moves toward the center inside the CdS nanorod shell, photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity of CdSe/CdS dot-in-rod increases. This heterostructure design optimization is a general and fundamental strategy that can be applied to heterogeneous photocatalysts composed of other materials, and provides a foundation for photocatalytic hydrogen production industrialization.