Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (3): 100172.doi: 10.1016/j.actphy.2025.100172

• REVIEW • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Enhanced H2O2 production performance via indirect two-electron reduction of HOF/BiVO4 (010) S-scheme photocatalyst

Ling Zhou1, Long Li1, Liwen Huang2,*(), Yan Wu1,*()   

  1. 1 Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430078, Hubei Province, China
    2 College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan 432000, Hubei Province, China
  • Received:2025-07-15 Revised:2025-08-20 Accepted:2025-08-24 Published:2026-01-05
  • Contact: Email: wuyan@cug.edu.cn (Yan Wu)hlw@hbeu.edu.cn (Liwen Huang)

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Abstract:

Solar-driven oxygen reduction for H2O2 production offers a green, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional industrial anthraquinone process and direct H2/O2 synthesis. In this study, through targeted crystal facet engineering, a hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) was selectively anchored onto the (010) facet of BiVO4, forming an S-scheme heterojunction where the HOF is the reducing side and oxygen reduction occurs to produce H2O2. This configuration significantly enhanced the H2O2 yield to 555 μmol g−1 h−1, representing a ~37% improvement compared to randomly contacted HOF/BiVO4 systems. In situ Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) revealed the formation of an intrinsic electric field between the (110) and (010) facets of pristine BiVO4, with the (010) facet becoming electron-rich under illumination. Further investigation of the HOF/BiVO4 (010) material, where HOF is directionally anchored to the (010) facet of BiVO4, demonstrated the establishment of an additional built-in electric field between the two components. Thus, we propose a novel HOF/BiVO4 (010) photocatalytic material featuring dual built-in electric fields in the heterojunctions, which significantly promote the dual directed charge transfer in the different facets of single crystal BiVO4 and the interface of the S-scheme heterojunction. In situ X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) further confirmed the S-scheme heterojunction electron transfer mechanism. By introducing electron scavengers and hole trappers, we conclusively verified that the heterojunction-mediated photocatalytic process follows a two-electron Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) pathway. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy detected the presence of superoxide radicals (∙O2−), indicating that the ORR proceeds via an indirect two-electron transfer mechanism. The synergistic effects of the dual built-in electric fields, S-scheme heterojunction structure, and two-electron ORR pathway collectively contribute to the superior photocatalytic performance of this system.

Key words: S-scheme heterojunction, Dual built-in electric fields, Hydrogen-bonded organic framework, BiVO4, Two-electron ORR