Selective loading of platinum or silver cocatalyst onto a hydrogen-evolution photocatalyst in a silver-mediated all solid-state Z-scheme system for enhanced overall water splitting

We selectively loaded a hydrogen (H2)-evolution cocatalyst, either platinum (Pt) or silver (Ag), onto a H2-evolution photocatalyst, zinc rhodium oxide (ZnRh2O4), in a Ag-inserted ZnRh2O4 and bismuth vanadium oxide (Bi4V2O11) hetero-junction photocatalyst (ZnRh2O4/Ag/Bi4V2O11) by a photo-deposition method. The selective loading of Pt or Ag was achieved by taking advantage of the band-gap difference between ZnRh2O4 (1.2 eV) and Bi4V2O11 (1.7 eV) and increased the overall water-splitting activity of the photocatalyst.