Dual Modification of a BiVO4 Photoanode for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance

Lili Gao; Feng Li; Haiguo Hu; Xuefeng Long; Na Xu; Yiping Hu; Shenqi Wei; Chenglong Wang; Jiantai Ma; Jun Jin

doi:10.1002/cssc.201800999

Dual Modification of a BiVO₄ Photoanode for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance

ChemSusChem. 2018 Aug 9;11(15):2502-2509. doi: 10.1002/cssc.201800999. Epub 2018 Jul 9.

Authors

Lili Gao^{1

2}, Feng Li^{1

2}, Haiguo Hu^{1

2}, Xuefeng Long^{1

2}, Na Xu^{1

2}, Yiping Hu^{1

2}, Shenqi Wei^{1

2}, Chenglong Wang^{1

2}, Jiantai Ma^{1

2}, Jun Jin^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.
² The Key Laboratory of Catalytic Engineering of Gansu Province, and Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.

PMID: 29863749
DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201800999

Abstract

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄ ) has triggered extensive interest in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, owing to its narrow band gap and sufficiently positive valence band. However, some defects still exist to block the solar utilization efficiency and hydrogen evolution kinetics. Herein, the NiMoO₄ semiconductor is combined with a BiVO₄ photoanode, for the first time, and excellent PEC performance is achieved on the basis of heterojunction formation and favorable conductivity of NiMoO₄ . In addition, it has been demonstrated that NiMoO₄ promotes the light absorption ability, charge separation efficiency, and surface charge-transfer efficiency comprehensively. To further improve the photoconversion efficiency, cobalt phosphate, as an oxygen evolution reaction cocatalyst, is deposited on the above electrode and achieves a much enhanced utilization efficiency of 1.18 %, with a photocurrent density of 5.3 mA cm^-2 at 1.23 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode; this exceeds most results reported to date. This rational and unique photoanode construction provides a new thread for the photoelectrode designation.

Keywords: electrochemistry; photochemistry; semiconductors; transition metals; water splitting.