Fabrication and performance of 3C–SiC photocathode materials for water splitting

Abstract

Since high-performance catalysts play a vital role in energy conversion efficiency during photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE), they are indispensable for clean energy production and environmental sustainability. Though a lot of semiconductor materials have been developed as catalysts for PHE by water splitting, many of them (e.g., oxides, sulfides, and phosphides) suffer from low stability and unsuitable energy band structures. In contrast, the energy band structure of cubic silicon carbide (3C–SiC) ideally spans the water redox potential, and its suitable band gap (2.36 ​eV) can effectively utilize most of the available sunlight. Therefore, 3C–SiC exhibits unique advantages in PHE. In this review, to aid researchers in preparing an appropriate photocatalytic material for hydrogen evolution, a thorough examination of the preparation methods of 3C–SiC is offered. The modification methods of 3C–SiC and their recent advances in enhancing its efficiency of PHE are summarized. They include morphology control, heterostructure construction, doping, and loaded co-catalysts. A deep discussion of the relationship among the photocatalytic effect, its energy band structure, and modification methods of 3C–SiC is presented. Finally, the benefits and drawbacks of various modifications for PHE are emphasized, as is the outlook for future research.