Abstract
The development of highly efficient photocatalytic materials and composites has been one of the main goals in the energy and environmental fields. To this date, however, the efficiency and stability of photocatalytic materials are still very low. This work shows a novel strategy of Pd coated TiO2/Si nanopillars produced by atomic layer deposition with a wide light absorption window. The structures show significantly improved performance due to the synergistic effect of Pd decorated TiO2/Si nanopillars, and the cooperative effect between Hot and Photoexcited electrons and Schottky nanojunctions. The performance of the composites is evaluated, the enhancement mechanism is explained and the advantages of the rational design of these materials are discussed.