Plasmonic honeycomb-like structures with Bernoulli effect and pre-activation effect for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production from waste water

[Display omitted] •Inspired by natural transpiration and enzyme pre-activation, Au/Ni-MOF plasmonic honeycomb-like structure was prepared.•The Bernoulli effect and drag effect favor water transport process and local pH gradient distribution.•The influence weights of key-factors have been quantitatively analyzed. Producing hydrogen fuel through solar-driven water splitting offers a sustainable approach toward carbon neutrality. However, some essential factors, including water transport and activation process, often lack sufficient consideration, leading to an unsatisfactory photocatalytic performance. This study presents a particular plasmonic honeycomb-like architecture, which combines plasmonic materials with metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). This unique design distinguishes itself from traditional plasmonic structures by leveraging the Bernoulli and drag effects, thereby improving water transport and minimizing local pH gradients. Additionally, the plasmonic photo-thermal effect generates localized high temperatures, aiding in the pre-activation of water molecules and lowering reaction barriers. Remarkably, the Au/Ni-MOF honeycomb-like catalyst achieved a good hydrogen production rate of 7610 μmol/h g−1 in particulate photocatalytic systems and a high apparent quantum yield. Also, a novel device using the Au/Ni-MOF honeycomb-like catalyst for photothermal-photocatalytic waste water vapor splitting to hydrogen has been designed along with 5110 μmol/h g−1, aiming for green utilization of waste water. These results underscore the significant advantages of the plasmonic honeycomb-like structure for practical applications in photocatalytic hydrogen production.