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The trade-off between ultrahigh speed and low operating voltage is a major challenge in the continuous improvement of modern electronics. Although micro/nano plasma devices have demonstrated the potential of picosecond switching speed and high output power, surpassing traditional electronic devices, versatile methods for optimizing the operating voltage and switching speed are highly desired. Here, an optimization scheme based on the work function of the electrode materials is reported, which reduces the operating voltage and improves the switching speed. Compared with traditional methods, such as narrowing gaps or distorting electric fields, this approach offers advantages such as reducing production costs, enhancing consistency, and improving tunability. The experimental results show that using silver as a low-work-function electrode material can reduce the operating voltage by 55% to 180 V and increase the switching speed by 58% to 7.1 V ps−1 compared to platinum, which is equivalent to a 71% reduction in gap size. In addition, the underlying working mechanisms and inherent advantages of the approach are demonstrated, providing new insights for the ultrahigh switching speed and low-power application of micro/nano plasma devices, such as high-speed communication and ultrafast electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MoO3 film with the main phase of orthorhombic α-phase was deposited on a glass substrate by pulsed laser deposition. Metal–acid ionic liquid treatment caused the film to change from transparent to blue, while also reducing its bandgap and resistance values. These properties can be controlled by using different metals with lower work functions than MoO3, different acids, and varying treatment times. In this study, the film treated with Al-acid ionic liquid for 15 min showed the lowest bandgap of 2.61 eV and the smallest resistance of 9.48 × 103 Ω. This treatment resulted in a modulation of 0.59 eV in the bandgap and a more than 5 orders of magnitude increase in MoO3 conductivity. Both variable range hopping and activated behavior may be present throughout the entire temperature range in this study. The treating process causes an expansion of the crystal lattice, and the reduction of the Mo element. The manipulation of microstructures and properties may be attributed to the hydrogenation of the MoO3 thin films, driven by the difference in work function between the metal and oxide. This study expands the use of acids from inorganic acids to acidic ionic liquids, and enriches the method of metal–acid treatment. The concept of controllable hydrogen-doping through metal–acidic ionic liquid treatment has significant implications for the design of multifunctional materials in various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) film/Si heterojunctions were obtained by depositing SWCNT films directly on a Si substrate by the floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition. The single-walled nature of the nanotubes was proven and confirmed by Raman and infrared spectroscopy, respectively. An additional ethanol post-growth treatment improved the properties of the heterojunctions by increasing densification of SWCNTs and decreasing their sheet resistance. Peaks positions of radial breathing mode obtained from the Raman mapping analysis demonstrated a random chirality (varying between armchair and zigzag) of tube structures and their very narrow diameter distribution, centered at ≈ 1.06 nm. This latter result was also confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. Properties of SWCNT/Si heterojunctions, such as ideality factor, Schottky barrier height, series resistance, SWCNT film work function and density of interface states are presented. To obtain the last two parameters by a self-consistent method, the intermediate nanolayer of silicon oxide between the SWCNT film and Si is considered. Impact of interface states and the native silicon oxide at the SWCNT/Si interface on the properties of heterojunctions is also discussed. Finally, such basic optoelectronic figures of merit as the responsivity, detectivity, and external quantum efficiency in the visible spectral range were determined and found to be comparable to the best reported for other SWCNT-based photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, several designs of lead-based and lead-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been developed and investigated. For the proposed designs, CH3NH3PbI3 (lead-based), FAMASnGeI3, and CsGeI3 (lead-free) are used as absorber materials, Cu 2 O and NiO have been used as Hole Transport Layer (HTL) materials and TiO2 as Electron Transport Layer (ETL) materials. ETL materials, in general, have more concern with stability issues and HTL materials have more issues with efficiency improvements. The effect of changing thickness, doping density and defect density of the absorber layer, as well as HTL, defect density of absorber/HTL interface and work functions of front and back contacts on the performance of the proposed devices, are investigated. To enhance the device performance, optimization of the device parameters is performed. After optimization of different parameters, it is observed that the lead-based device structure TiO2/CH3NH3PbI3/NiO has a maximum efficiency of 29.94%. Even the corresponding lead-free device structure TiO2/CsGeI3/NiO exhibits a maximum efficiency of 29.19%. Additionally, this study delved into the influence of altering series and shunt resistances, as well as temperature on the operational characteristics of the lead-free optimized device. Such eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives as lead-free perovskite cells can be very promising for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tribo-electrostatic separation is a dry method to separate fine particulates. This review discusses tribo-charging: generation, mechanism, control, characterization, and application in tribo-electrostatic separation with a particular focus on coal and mineral particles. Different types of tribo-electrostatic separators used for coal and minerals and factors influencing their separation are reviewed in this paper. Various pretreatment methods are also discussed. There are works reported on the tribo-electrostatic separation of coal and minerals after chemical pretreatments. However, the present published works on chemical pretreatments are preliminary, and many scopes exist to improve the process. More research is required to establish powder dry separation using a tribo-electrostatic method as an industrial process for separating coal and mineral systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] While great efforts have been made to improve the electrocatalytic activity of existing materials toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), it is also importance for searching new type of nonprecious HER catalysts to realize the practical hydrogen evolution. Herein, we firstly report nanocrystalline transition metal tetraborides (TMB 4 , TM=W and Mo) as an efficient HER electrocatalyst has been synthesized by a single-step solid-state reaction. The optimized nanocrystalline WB 4 exhibits an overpotential as low as 172 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and small Tafel slope of 63 mV/dec in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4. Moreover, the nanocrystalline WB 4 outperforms the commercial Pt/C at high current density region, confirming potential applications in industrially electrochemical water splitting. Theoretical study reveals that high intrinsic HER activity of WB 4 is originated from its large work function that contributes to the weak hydrogen-adsorption energy. Therefore, this work provides new insights for development of robust nanocrystalline electrocatalysts for efficient HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work deals with the Argon (Ar) Thermal plasma‐induced surface modification of Cu and its correlation with the electrical and field emission (FE) properties. Polycrystalline Cu targets were treated with Ar thermal plasma under atmospheric pressure at different treatment times ranging from 5 min to 30 min. XRD patterns revealed the absence of new phase in treated samples. However, significant variation in peak intensities and shifting is observed, which is explained on the basis of thermal plasma ions induced defect generation and annihilation processes. The electrical conductivity of processed Cu targets measured by four‐probe method ranges from 1.9 MS/m to 70 MS/m and is well correlated with the crystallite size variation. Surface modification induced work function alternations investigated by employing Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP) technique are in the range of 4.69 eV 4.97 eV. The irradiated morphology explored by optical and scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed the formation of localized melt pools, grains, hillocks, spheroids, and sputtered patches, which are explainable on the basis of Coulomb's explosion, thermal spike model, plasma‐induced sputtering, and re‐deposition. FE properties of thermal plasma‐treated Cu are measured in diode configuration by measuring I‐V characteristics of target under ultra‐high vacuum condition. The improved FE parameters such as turn‐on field (Eo), field enhancement factor (β), and maximum current density (Jmax) come out to be in the range of 3–7.5 V/μm, 1715–3223, and 284–872 nA/cm2, respectively and their correlation with plasma‐induced surface structural, morphological and work function modifications is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In negative hydrogen ion sources in situ adsorption of Cs is typically used to generate low work function converter surfaces. The achievement of a temporally stable low work function coating is, however, challenging due to the hydrogen plasma interaction with the surface. Particularly in ion sources for neutral beam injection systems for fusion with pulse durations of minutes to hours temporal instabilities are a major issue and limit the source performance. To clarify the influence of the hydrogen plasma on the converter surface, investigations are performed at an experiment equipped with an absolute work function diagnostic based on the photoelectric effect. Caesiated surfaces are exposed to the full plasma impact by the generation of plasmas in front of the surface as well as to selected plasma species (H atoms, positive ions and VUV/UV photons) from an external plasma source to identify driving mechanisms that lead to surface changes. Depending on the exposure time and initial surface condition, the plasma strongly affects the surface in terms of work function and quantum efficiency (QE). For degraded Cs layers (work function ≥ 3 eV) a favorable increase in QE and reduction in work function can be achieved, while for Cs layers with an ultra-low work function of 1.2 - 1.3 eV the opposite is true. It is found that each plasma species can influence the Cs layers and that VUV photons lead to a work function increase of ultra-low work function layers. For sufficiently high VUV fluences a severe work function increase by 0.5 eV is given, highlighting the relevance of photochemical processes in the plasma-surface interaction and demonstrating that ultra-low work function layers are not stable in a hydrogen plasma environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) is a noncontact variant of atomic force microscopy (AFM) used to measure contact potential difference (CPD) between a probe tip and a sample surface. The sample's surface potential or work function can be extracted from the measured CPD. Since the surface potential relates to many surface functionalities, KPFM has diverse applications in advanced material and device research. For the quantitative nanoscale measurement of surface potential by KPFM, it is essential to establish the standard protocol using suitable reference materials (RM). This international pre-standardization research via the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS) aims to establish a practical protocol for quantitative surface potential measurements at the nanoscale. Based on the VAMAS project achievements, the final goal is to develop an international standard through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal phase of pseudocapacitive materials significantly influences charge storage kinetics and capacitance; yet, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study focuses on tungsten oxide (WO3), a material exhibiting multiple crystal phases with potential for energy storage. Despite extensive research on WO3, the impact of different crystal structures on charge storage properties remains largely unexplored. Here, the successful synthesis and electrochemical characterization of tetragonal WO3 are reported. This investigation demonstrates that tetragonal WO3 exhibits superior energy storage capabilities compared to other WO3 polymorphs. According to in situ Raman spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy combined with in‐depth electrochemical analyses, this enhancement is attributed to a unique charge storage mechanism and an expanded potential window facilitated by an engineered electrode work function. This study highlights the critical role of the crystal phase in optimizing the performance of pseudocapacitive materials and provides valuable insights for the development of next‐generation energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of electric dipoles at the buried interface through self‐assembled molecules is crucial for minimizing non‐radiative recombination and improving the efficiency of inverted perovskite solar cells. However, creating dipoles at the upper interface has seldom been reported in the literature, primarily due to the scarcity of suitable n‐type organic passivants, film sensitivity of perovskite, and chemisorption issues. In this study, a novel bimolecular host–guest strategy is proposed utilizing the cavity of crown ether as the host and the ammonia ion as the guest. The ion‐docking phenomenon is thoroughly examined through a comprehensive range of experimental characterizations and theoretical analyses, instilling confidence in the robustness of the findings. These findings demonstrate that the host–guest electrostatic interlocking induces an electric dipole at the perovskite surface, which facilitates electron extraction and prevents hole recombination. As a result, a power conversion efficiency of 25.25% is achieved with minimal photovoltage and non‐radiative recombination losses. The target devices also exhibited superior long‐term stabilities under high humid and high temperature environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By manipulating the work function, the dissipation of thermal energy on the material surface can be regulated through Electron Transpiration Cooling (ETC) mechanism. The doping of rare-earth oxide serves as an effective approach for reducing the work function, whereas there is still a lack of comprehensive research into the microstructural morphology of the rare-earth oxides and their correlations with the modifications of the work functions. This study investigates the detailed microscopical structure of Gd 2 O 3 in the ultrahigh-temperature ceramic system (ZrB 2 -20 vol%SiC). Semi-quantitative composition analyses based on X-ray photoelectron spectra indicate that an increased doping concentration of Gd 2 O 3 is beneficial for the formation of a single solid-state Gd 0.18 Zr 0.82 O 1.91 phase of ZrB 2 -SiC system. Atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) analyses suggest that Gd 2 O 3 is enriched at the interfaces between SiC and ZrB 2 matrix with a nanoscale fibrous morphology composed of alternated Gd 2 O 3 crystals and pores, rendering a continuous microstructure throughout the entire system. This peculiar microstructural morphology is anticipated to facilitate its diffusion along the grain boundary and the formation of Gd 2 O 3 nanolayers at the surface region below the melting points of the ceramic matrix, which can efficiently lower the material work function and reduce the emission energy of the surface electrons during thermal emission through ETC mechanism. The composite with 10 vol% Gd 2 O 3 induces a reduction of the averaged work function of ∼0.49 eV before preforming the thermionic emission experiments. Our results provide valuable insights into the impacts of rare-earth oxide on the ZrB 2 -SiC matrix, as well as shed light on the feasibility of the ETC mechanism through the efficient design of thermal protection materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost-effective, active, and durable electrodes are required for the development of the efficient alkaline water electrolysis towards green hydrogen production. Here, we report successful fabrication of such electrodes by means of robust radio frequency magnetron sputtering that produces uniform, crystalline, and phase pure catalytic iridium thin films over nickel foam current collectors. The effect of working pressure of argon gas during sputtering on the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the as-fabricated electrodes has been investigated. Specifically, it has been established that the employment of working pressure of 3 Pa afforded the electrodes with the lowest mass loading of precious iridium metal (≈0.32%), but exhibiting the best alkaline water electrolysis performance. The electrodes demonstrated favourable overpotentials of 14 mV and 318 mV at current densities of ±10 mA/cm2 toward hydrogen (HER) and oxygen (OER) evolution reactions, respectively. Furthermore, as a cathode and an anode for overall water splitting (OWS) in alkaline electrolyte, the electrode exhibited the cell voltage of 1.57 V at 10 mA/cm2 and stably performed electrolysis at different applied current densities. The electrochemical performance of the electrodes has been corroborated by work function measurements using Kelvin probe force microscopy. • Phase pure Ir thin films on nickel foam were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering. • The effect of the working gas pressure on HER and OER performance was observed. • Bifunctional NiF@Ir-3 electrode can stably sustain OWS at several current densities. • Work function measurements prove to be a useful tool to validate electrochemical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic water splitting shows great potential for producing clean and green hydrogen, but it is hindered by slow reaction kinetics. Advanced electrocatalysts are needed to lower the energy barriers. The establishment of built‐in electric fields (BIEF) in heterointerfaces has been found to be beneficial for speeding up electron transfer, increasing electrical conductivity, adjusting the local reaction environment, and optimizing the chemisorption energy with intermediates. Engineering and modifying the BIEF in heterojunctions offer significant opportunities to enhance the electronic properties of catalysts, thus improving the reaction kinetics. This comprehensive review focuses on the latest advances in BIEF engineering in heterojunction catalysts for efficient water electrolysis. It highlights the fundamentals, engineering, modification, characterization, and application of BIEF in electrocatalytic water splitting. The review also discusses the challenges and future prospects of BIEF engineering. Overall, this review provides a thorough examination of BIEF engineering for the next generation of water electrolysis devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to generate heterostructures with a desirable charge transfer pathway is essential for achieving semiconductor photocatalysts with super photocatalytic activity. Herein, it is proposed to realize robust tailoring of effective charge transfer pathway in semiconductor‐based heterostructures via work function regulation, and elucidate the influence of the work function of the semiconductor on the charge transfer mechanism at the heterostructure interface. Specifically, taking type‐II heterostructure SrTiO3/Mn3O4 as an example, introducing BiFeO3 into SrTiO3 effectively regulate the work function of the (BiFeO3)x(SrTiO3)1−x/Mn3O4 (BxT1−x/Mn3O4) solid solution through optimizing the x value. Combined with in situ testing, the results show that the original type‐II heterojunction SrTiO3/Mn3O4 is converted into S‐scheme heterojunction (BiFeO3)0.3(SrTiO3)0.7/Mn3O4 when BiFeO3 is introduced. This increases the work function of the semiconductor, inducing the light‐generated carriers to be guided and separated by the generated built‐in electric field. Therefore, the implementation of this strategy can achieve efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction. In contrast to pristine SrTiO3/Mn3O4, the (BiFeO3)0.3(SrTiO3)0.7/Mn3O4 heterostructure exhibits a 28‐fold enhancement of in electron consumption rate during photocatalytic CO2 reduction, and the reaction mechanism is suggested. In this study, a strategy for effectively converting interfacial charge transfer pathways in semiconductor photocatalysts is developed to enhance the photoconversion kinetics of CO2 and H2O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of 150-nm-thick Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films with various Al doping concentrations were deposited by atomic layer deposition technique to determine their applicability in transparent electronic devices. For incorporation into transparent electrodes, the electrical properties of AZO films must be modulated to minimize the parasitic effect. The results show that AZO thin films with various Al dopant concentrations had different work-functions and electrical contact properties, while the other physical characteristics were not significantly changed. Hence, AZO thin films can be used as transparent conducting oxide materials and are potential alternatives for the currently used indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to generate heterostructures with a desirable charge transfer pathway is essential for achieving semiconductor photocatalysts with super photocatalytic activity. Herein, it is proposed to realize robust tailoring of effective charge transfer pathway in semiconductor‐based heterostructures via work function regulation, and elucidate the influence of the work function of the semiconductor on the charge transfer mechanism at the heterostructure interface. Specifically, taking type‐II heterostructure SrTiO3/Mn3O4 as an example, introducing BiFeO3 into SrTiO3 effectively regulate the work function of the (BiFeO3)x(SrTiO3)1−x/Mn3O4 (BxT1−x/Mn3O4) solid solution through optimizing the x value. Combined with in situ testing, the results show that the original type‐II heterojunction SrTiO3/Mn3O4 is converted into S‐scheme heterojunction (BiFeO3)0.3(SrTiO3)0.7/Mn3O4 when BiFeO3 is introduced. This increases the work function of the semiconductor, inducing the light‐generated carriers to be guided and separated by the generated built‐in electric field. Therefore, the implementation of this strategy can achieve efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction. In contrast to pristine SrTiO3/Mn3O4, the (BiFeO3)0.3(SrTiO3)0.7/Mn3O4 heterostructure exhibits a 28‐fold enhancement of in electron consumption rate during photocatalytic CO2 reduction, and the reaction mechanism is suggested. In this study, a strategy for effectively converting interfacial charge transfer pathways in semiconductor photocatalysts is developed to enhance the photoconversion kinetics of CO2 and H2O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structures and properties of the electric double layer (EDL) on zinc (Zn) anodes significantly influence the cycling and rate performance of aqueous Zn batteries (ZBs). Here, a strategy is reported to regulate the EDL structure through work function (Wf) engineering to effectively enhance the electrochemical performance of ZBs, which is enabled by electrolyte‐tailored growth of heterogenous metal with a large Wf on the Zn anode. The metal‐to‐metal charge transfer in heterostructured Zn metal induced by the disparity of Wf increases the surface charge density, which enriches the Zn ions and shortens the thickness of EDL. The compressed EDL weakens the repulsive force of Zn deposits to achieve a tightly stacked and dendrite‐free Zn deposition. Besides, the formed H2O‐deficient EDL structure enables the inorganic‐rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) with high Zn‐ion conductivity to inhibit the notorious parasitic reactions and improve the electrode reaction kinetics. Consequently, the Zn||Zn symmetric cells demonstrate an ultra‐long cycling life over 2700 cycles (the cumulative capacity reaches 5400 mA h cm−2) at a high current density of 50 mA cm−2. The Zn anodes show a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.70% over 3650 cycles. The Zn||MnO2 full cells exhibit excellent practical‐level performance under cyclic continuous mode (3000‐cycle life at high rates) and cyclic intermittent mode (1170‐cycle life with 83.05% capacity retention). Practical pouch cells are also demonstrated with outstanding cycling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the graphene-promoted formation of an interfacial oxide layer when certain metals are deposited on graphene. We probe interfacial oxide formation through the observation that several metals, when 10–12 nm in thickness and deposited on graphene on a transparent substrate, show a change in optical contrast compared to that in areas where the metal directly contacts the substrate. Aluminum shows this effect, while platinum and nickel do not exhibit such a pronounced optical contrast change. To understand this phenomenon, we characterize the Al-graphene, Ti-graphene, and Ni-graphene interfaces using techniques including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling, X-ray reflectivity, and Raman spectroscopy. These techniques show the presence of oxide at the buried metal–graphene interface for the cases of aluminum and titanium deposition, and we discuss how this explains the change in optical contrast. We show that this process is sensitive to the background vacuum level during deposition. In the case of nickel, we did not observe the presence of an oxide. Building upon these findings, we propose structures for Al-graphene, Ti-graphene, and Ni-graphene interfaces. We propose a model based on the metal work function and interaction with graphene that can guide the metals for which interfacial oxidation is to be expected, and we discuss the role of the deposition conditions in controlling the extent of oxide formation. These observations provide important implications for various devices using graphene as either the channel or the contact. Depending on whether a metal–graphene interfacial oxide is desirable and its functionality, these findings will afford guidance for their fabrications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Heterojunctions photocatalysts play a crucial role in achieving high solar-hydrogen conversion efficiency. In this work, we mainly focus on the charge transfer dynamics and pathways for sulfides-based Schottky junctions in the photocatalytic water splitting process to clarify the mechanism of heterostructures photocatalysis. Sulfides-based Schottky junctions (CdS/CoP and CdS/1T-MoS 2) were successfully constructed for photocatalytic water splitting. Because of the higher work function of CdS than that of CoP and 1T-MoS 2 , the direction of the built-in electric field is from CoP or 1T-MoS 2 to semiconductor. Therefore, CoP and 1T-MoS 2 can act as electrons acceptors to accelerate the transfer of photo-generated electron on the surface of CdS, thus improving the charge utilization efficiency. Meanwhile, CoP and 1T-MoS 2 as active sites can also promote the water dissociation and lower the H+ reduction overpotential, thus contributing to the excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production activity (23.59 mmol·h−1·g−1 and 1195.8 mol·h−1·g−1 for CdS/CoP and CdS/1T-MoS 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this proposed work focuses to overcome the traditional doping challenges in L-shaped tunnel field transistors by using charge plasma (CP) concept and increase current conduction by forming heterogeneous junction (SiC-Si-SiC). Silicon carbide is used for the material for Source and Drain. The concept of charge plasma is implemented in the source and drain regions by implementing different work functions and to improve current conduction the source and drain regions is made of Silicon Carbide and the channel is made of Silicon which forms heterojunction which creates horizontal tensile strain and vertical compressive strain in the channel region which increases electron mobility mainly for low-power semiconductor applications. The performance of device parameters like the transfer characteristics subthreshold swing, output characteristics have been described. Analysis of Threshold Voltage, drain current and ION/IOFF ratio have been carried for CP based L-TFET. Sentaurus Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) has been used to evaluate and analyze the device for the CP-based TFET. The device was simulated in the Sentaurus TCAD in which the certain parameters are evaluated in which certain models such as, Slotboom model is applied to consider the impact of doping concentrations on energy bandgap narrowing in the source/drain (S/D) regions. Also, Fermi statistics and Shockley-Read-Hall recombination models are used. The inclusion of charge plasma and SiC in the device improves the electron mobility and current conduction is improved with less leakage current and can be used for low power applications such as inverter, memory devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To optimize the performance of photocatalytic H 2 production, many effective methods have been developed, such as controlling morphology, designing synergetic reaction, and enhancing the utilization of photogenerated charge carriers (PCCs). In this work, an efficient CoMoO 4 /Zn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S (CMO/ZCS) photocatalyst with p-n heterojunction was constructed by incorporating Zn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S (ZCS) nanoparticles into CoMoO 4 (CMO) microflowers. Although CMO had limited activity in H 2 production under visible light irradiation, it could largely boosting the H 2 production efficiency of ZCS nanoparticles by oxidizing p-chlorobenzyl alcohol (Cl-PhCH 2 OH) in organic solvent. In the CMO/ZCS composites, the best rates of H 2 and Cl-PhCHO reached 34.28 and 35.87 mmol g−1 h−1, respectively. The p-n heterojunction formed between CMO and ZCS may be the main enhanced reason of the excellent performance, as it could effectively improve the separation, transfer and utilization of PCCs. The design of the CMO/ZCS catalyst not only optimizes the migration and utilization of PCCs, but also provides crucial theoretical guidance and experimental insights for the development of highly efficient photocatalysts. [Display omitted] • CoMoO 4 /Zn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S heterojunction was prepared by self-assembly method. • Zn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S nanoparticles are incorporated into CoMoO 4 microflowers. • p-n heterojunction improves the transfer of photogenerated charge carriers. • Photocatalytic H 2 evolution is promoted by 4-chlorobenzyl alcohol oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]