Unveiling the charge transfer dynamics steered by built-in electric fields in BiOBr photocatalysts

Reduction. However, a quantitative understanding of the charge transfer dynamics modulated by IEFs remains elusive. Here, electron microscopy study unveils that the non-equilibrium photo-excited electrons are collectively steered by two contiguous IEFs within binary (001)/(200) facet junctions of BiOBr platelets, and they exhibit characteristic Gaussian distribution profiles on reduction facets by using metal co-catalysts as probes. An analytical model justifies the Gaussian curve and allows us to measure the diffusion length and drift distance of electrons. The charge separation efficiency, as well as photocatalytic performances, are maximized when the platelet size is about twice the drift distance, either…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 22032002, U1905214, 51701170, 22102030, 21861130353, 51871058, 21425309, 2013CB632405, 21961142019, 2018YFA0209301, 21761132002
• CP
  China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
• FU
  Fuzhou University
• HE
  Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project

  Award: D16008
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China-Yunnan Joint Fund

  Award: 22032002
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Awards: 2018YFA0209301, D16008, 2013CB632405