LAUSR

Abstract Photoelectrochemical water splitting is an ideal method for hydrogen production due to its potential on high efficiency, simplicity and environmental friendliness. Photocatalysts are one of crucial parts for Photoelectrochemical water splitting, whilst most photocatalysts own insufficient hydrogen evolution efficiency due to narrow solar spectrum absorption range or low quantum efficiency. Herein, we first prepare Fe2O3 nanorod arrays by solvothermal method and then in-situ synthesize a hierarchical flower-like nickel ferrite/hematite heterojunction via facile solution quenched method. The as-prepared samples are characterized by X-Ray Powder Diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, Raman spectra and UV–vis absorption spectra. Morphological characterization shows nickel ferrite flower petal layer forms surrounding hematite stamens. This flower-like structure exhibits excellent light absorption properties (extending over 850 nm) with band gap at 1.73–1.88 eV, which is evidently narrower than that of pure hematite at 2.1 eV (about 600 nm). Its hydrogen evolution rate is 24 times higher than that of pure hematite.