A silicon/zinc 2,9,16,23-tetraaminophthalocyanine coaxial core–shell nanowire array as an efficient solar hydrogen generation photocatalyst

In this work, we have demonstrated that a silicon nanowire (SiNW) array can be an efficient visible light photocatalyst for hydrogen generation after being modified by the 2,9,16,23-tetraaminophthalocyanine of zinc (ZnTAPc). A photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell employing a ZnTAPc modified SiNW array as photoanode was found to be able to effectively produce hydrogen at a rate of 13 µmol (cm2 h)−1 under 100 mw cm−2 irradiation from a xenon lamp. It is believed that the loading of ZnTAPc can enhance the efficiency of hydrogen generation and the stability of the SiNW array. This demonstrates that the ZnTAPc modified SiNW is a promising material for solar hydrogen generation.