Encapsulation Strategy on All Inorganic Perovskites for Stable and Efficient Photoelectrocatalytic Water Splitting

All inorganic perovskite CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals are a promising candidate as photocathode for efficient photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water splitting. However, the poor chemical stability severely limits its practical applications. The exploration of perovskite-based ideal photocathode materials with efficient and highly stable PEC performance is still an ambitious and meaningful challenge. Herein, under guidance of theoretical calculations, an encapsulation strategy is proposed to prepare the CsPbBr₃/Ni₂P core/shell nanostructures. Compared with the pristine CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals, the CsPbBr₃/Ni₂P nanostructures show a significant improvement of photocurrent density up to 10 000 folds with long-term stability in aqueous solution, and present superior PEC activity for hydrogen generation with nearly 100% faradic efficiency. The encapsulation strategy opens up an avenue for rational design of perovskite-based photocathodes for efficient and stable PEC water reduction.