Toward Spatial Control of Reaction Selectivity on Photocatalysts Using Area-Selective Atomic Layer Deposition on the Model Dual Site Electrocatalyst Platform

Abstract

Photocatalytic water splitting is a promising route to low-cost, green H₂. However, this approach is currently limited in its solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency. One major source of efficiency loss is attributed to the high rates of undesired side and back reactions, which are exacerbated by the proximity of neighboring oxidation and reduction sites. Nanoscopic oxide coatings have previously been used to selectively block undesired reactants from reaching active sites; however, a coating encapsulating the entire photocatalyst particle limits activity as it cannot facilitate both half-reactions. In this work, area selective atomic layer deposition (AS-ALD) was used to selectively deposit semipermeable TiO₂ films onto model metallic cocatalysts for enhancing reaction selectivity while maintaining a high overall activity. Pt and Au were used as exemplary reduction and oxidation cocatalyst sites, respectively, where Au was deactivated toward ALD growth through self-assembled thiol monolayers while TiO₂ was coated onto Pt sites. Electroanalytical measurements of monometallic thin film electrodes showed that the TiO₂-encapsulated Pt effectively suppressed undesired H₂ oxidation and Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox reactions while still permitting the desired hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). A planar model photocatalyst platform containing patterned interdigitated arrays of Au and Pt microelectrodes was further assessed using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), demonstrating the successful use of AS-ALD to enable local reaction selectivity in a dual-reaction-site (photo)electrocatalytic system. Finally, interdigitated microelectrodes having independent potential control were used to show that selectively deposited TiO₂ coatings can suppress the rate of back reactions on neighboring active sites by an order of magnitude compared with uncoated control samples.