Construction of hollow TiO2/black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) with cavity reflection associated oriented electron transfer effects for enhanced photocatalytic efficiency

Quantum dot-based materials exhibit unique photocatalytic performance, however inefficient electron transfer and weak visible light absorption negatively affect the results. In this study, a hollow TiO 2 /black phosphorus quantum dot (BPQDs) composite with cavity reflection associated oriented electron transfer effects was developed for photocatalytic hydrogen (H 2 ) production. The H 2 evolution rate of TiO 2 /BPQDs composite is 19 times higher than that of BPQDs and 2.3 times higher than that of TiO 2 . BPQDs were demonstrated that effectively loaded into both external and internal layers of TiO 2 , the UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra revealed an increased light absorption capacity of the material after BPQDs loading. Photoelectric tests and density functional theory calculations demonstrated improved electron transfer ability of the composite. The research expands the design methods for BP-based composites, providing new insights into heterojunction enhanced efficiency for solar energy conversion.