In artificial photocatalysis for hydrogen (H₂) generation from water reduction, low apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) always confines the photocatalytic conversion efficiency. Here, we demonstrate a new strategy for the design and synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) SrTiO₃@Mo₂C core-shell nanostructure for highly enhanced photocatalytic H₂ generation activity. The thin nanolayer of Mo₂C improves the interfacial conductivity, facilitates transport of photo-generated charge carriers as well as prolongs charge carriers’ lifetime, that minimizing the recombination of photo-generated electrons and holes. Thus SrTiO₃@Mo₂C hybrid achieves drastically enhanced photocatalytic H₂ generation rate up to 7.93 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ with respect to the pristine SrTiO₃ (0.53 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹) in a solar-driven reaction system, with an AQE of 29.3% at 313 nm. The charge carrier dynamics based mechanism was further confirmed by analysis of time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL), surface photovoltage (SPV), transient photovoltage (TPV), open circuit potential (OCP) decay curves as well as the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. It is unambiguously to demonstrate that Mo₂C is a highly active cocatalyst to dramatically boost the charge separation for photocatalytic water reduction.

在通过水还原产生氢（H ₂）的人工光催化中，低表观量子效率（AQE）始终限制了光催化转化效率。在这里，我们展示了一种新的策略，用于设计和合成一维（1D）SrTiO ₃ @Mo ₂ C核壳纳米结构，以高度增强光催化H _2的生成活性。Mo ₂ C的纳米薄层提高了界面电导率，促进了光生电荷载流子的传输，并延长了电荷载流子的寿命，从而使光生电子与空穴的复合最小化。因此SrTiO ₃ @Mo ₂在太阳能驱动的反应系统中，相对于原始SrTiO ₃（0.53 mmol h ^-1 g ^-1），C hybrid可以实现高达7.93 mmol h ^-1 g ^-1的光催化H ₂生成速率的大幅提高，AQE为29.3在313nm下的％。通过分析时间分辨光致发光（TRPL），表面光电压（SPV），瞬态光电压（TPV），开路电势（OCP）衰减曲线以及电化学阻抗谱（EIS），进一步证实了基于电荷载流子动力学的机理测量。毫无疑问地证明了Mo ₂C是一种高活性助催化剂，可大大促进电荷分离，从而减少光催化用水。