Striving toward visible light photocatalytic water splitting based on natural silicate clay mineral: The interface modification of attapulgite at the atomic-molecular level

Development of visible light driven photocatalytic water splitting catalysts for hydrogen production with both high activity and stability has remained a challenge to renewable energy research in the past decades. Herein, for the first time, the interface modified attapulgite (ATP) at the atomic-molecular level was employed as a photocatalyst for hydrogen production from water under visible light illumination. Because of the enhancement of the surface hydroxyl, the increase of dye adsorption, and high efficiency of photoexcited electron injection ability, the maximal hydrogen generation rate over the modified ATP coupled with Eosin Y is 2.9 times higher than that of original ATP, and the highest apparent quantum efficiency reached 28.6% at 490 nm. This work will pave a new pathway for the modification of natural catalysts for visible light driven photocatalytic water splitting technology.