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We report a microscopic study of p-GaAs/TiO2 heterojunctions using cross-sectional high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The photocatalytic performance for both H2 evolution and CO2 reduction of these heterostructures shows a very strong dependence on the thickness of the TiO2 over the range of 0-15 nm. Thinner films (1-10 nm) are amorphous and show enhanced catalytic performance with respect to bare GaAs. HRTEM images and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) maps show that the native oxide of GaAs is removed by the TiCl4 atomic layer deposition (ALD) precursor, which is corrosive. Ti3+ defect states (i.e., O vacancies) in the TiO2 film provide catalytically active sites, which improve the photocatalytic efficiency. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that water molecules and CO2 molecules bind stably to these Ti3+ states. Thicker TiO2 films (15 nm) are crystalline and have poor charge transfer due to their insulating nature, while thinner amorphous TiO2 films are conducting.

Here, we report photocatalytic CO2 reduction with water to produce methanol using TiO2-passivated InP nanopillar photocathodes under 532 nm wavelength illumination. In addition to providing a stable photocatalytic surface, the TiO2-passivation layer provides substantial enhancement in the photoconversion efficiency through the introduction of O vacancies associated with the nonstoichiometric growth of TiO2 by atomic layer deposition. Plane wave-density functional theory (PW-DFT) calculations confirm the role of oxygen vacancies in the TiO2 surface, which serve as catalytically active sites in the CO2 reduction process. PW-DFT shows that CO2 binds stably to these oxygen vacancies and CO2 gains an electron (-0.897e) spontaneously from the TiO2 support. This calculation indicates that the O vacancies provide active sites for CO2 absorption, and no overpotential is required to form the CO2(-) intermediate. The TiO2 film increases the Faraday efficiency of methanol production by 5.7× to 4.79% under an applied potential of -0.6 V vs NHE, which is 1.3 V below the E(o)(CO2/CO2(-)) = -1.9 eV standard redox potential. Copper nanoparticles deposited on the TiO2 act as a cocatalyst and further improve the selectivity and yield of methanol production by up to 8-fold with a Faraday efficiency of 8.7%.