Figure 1: Nanocomposite semiconductor photoelectrode with embedded metal nanopillars for solar water splitting.

(a) Schematic illustration of embedded metal nanopillars in a semiconductor film. (b) Schematic illustration of semiconductor nanowires coated with electrocatalyst nanoparticles. (c) Schematic illustration of a tubular three-dimensional Schottky junction formed around a metal nanopillar and a qualitative band structure diagram. Red lines mark Schottky barriers and blue lines mark Ohmic interfaces. CBM, conduction band minimum; VBM, the valence band maximum energy.