Boosted Photothermal Catalytic Hydrogen Evolution in TiO₂/Bi₂Te₃ Systems via Controlled Transformation of Bi–Te Phonon-Glass to Bi–Te–O Glass

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dc.contributor.authorMotoki, S.
dc.contributor.authorZhang, J.
dc.contributor.authorLin, J.
dc.contributor.authorHu, K.
dc.contributor.authorRen, S.
dc.contributor.authorDuan, X.
dc.contributor.authorWang, S.
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionPublished as part of Energy & Fuels special issue “2025 Energy and Fuels Rising Stars”.
dc.description.abstractPhotothermal catalysis has shown great promise for efficient water splitting toward green hydrogen production for its unique capability to convert sunlight into energetic hot carriers and localized thermal energy. However, suitable catalyst systems that fully exploit these effects remain limited. Phonon glass materials such as Bi₂Te₃ offer a broad spectrum of light absorption, making them attractive photothermal promoters, yet they contribute minimally to hot carrier generation. In this study, we explored the transformation of Bi₂Te₃ into Bi−Te−O glass phases and leveraged their photothermal/excitonic synergy, where thermal energy accelerates surface kinetics and excitonic species supply reactive charge carriers, by integrating them with TiO₂ to promote photothermal catalytic performance. Engineering thermal treatment at varying temperatures, we developed a TiO₂/Bi₂Te₃/Bi₂Te₄O₁₁ composite that achieved an optimized balance between photothermal and excitonic properties. Structural, optical, and surface analyses reveal that this balance is critical to achieving a hydrogen evolution rate of 2572 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹, nearly 10-fold higher than that of pristine TiO₂ (268 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹). These findings demonstrate a novel phase-engineering strategy for Bi2Te3-based hybrids, offering a dual approach via thermal and electronic pathways to guide the rational design of next-generation photothermal catalysts for solar fuel production.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilitySeiya Motoki, Jinqiang Zhang, Jingkai Lin, Kunsheng Hu, Shiying Ren, Xiaoguang Duan, and Shaobin Wang
dc.identifier.citationEnergy & Fuels, 2025; 39(35):17038-17048
dc.identifier.doi10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c03073
dc.identifier.issn0887-0624
dc.identifier.issn1520-5029
dc.identifier.orcidMotoki, S. [0000-0002-2842-4951]
dc.identifier.orcidLin, J. [0000-0001-6409-0146]
dc.identifier.orcidHu, K. [0000-0002-8598-6336]
dc.identifier.orcidRen, S. [0000-0002-4475-6331]
dc.identifier.orcidDuan, X. [0000-0001-9635-5807]
dc.identifier.orcidWang, S. [0000-0002-1751-9162]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/148060
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAmerican Chemical Society
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE250100753
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP240102707
dc.rights© 2025 American Chemical Society
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c03073
dc.subjectAmorphous materials; Composites; Evolution reactions; Oxides; Phase transitions
dc.titleBoosted Photothermal Catalytic Hydrogen Evolution in TiO₂/Bi₂Te₃ Systems via Controlled Transformation of Bi–Te Phonon-Glass to Bi–Te–O Glass
dc.title.alternativeBoosted Photothermal Catalytic Hydrogen Evolution in TiO(2)/Bi(2)Te(3) Systems via Controlled Transformation of Bi-Te Phonon-Glass to Bi-Te-O Glass
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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