Photothermal Effect Induced Water/Catalysts Interface Regulation for Enhanced Hydrogen Production from Wastewater

Solar-driven hydrogen production from water using particulate photocatalysts is considered an economical and highly effective strategy for producing hydrogen fuel. However, the reliance of this process on pure water resources and the limited utilization of wastewater hinders the extensive development of this catalytic technique. In this study, an efficient water phase regulation strategy is proposed to enable highly efficient water splitting for hydrogen production and wastewater reutilization. Changing the phase state of wastewater can lower the transport resistance of the hydrogen gas by approximately two orders of magnitude and suppress the damage from ions to the photo absorption and surface-active sites. Additionally, the phase-induced local high-temperature environment reduces the interface adsorption barrier, accelerating the separation and transfer process of photo-induced carriers. Notably, a remarkable hydrogen production rate of up to 51.33 mmol m −2 h −1 is achieved under outdoor natural sunlight illumination in the particulate photocatalytic system, demonstrating that the phase interface regulation strategy offers significant advantages for practical applications in hydrogen production and wastewater reutilization.