One-step chemical vapor deposition of MoS2 nanosheets on SiNWs as photocathodes for efficient and stable solar-driven hydrogen production. Issue 7 (6th February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hu, Die; Xiang, Jie; Zhou, Qingwei; Su, Shaoqiang; Zhang, Zongbao; Wang, Xin; Jin, Mingliang; Nian, Li; Nözel, Richard; Zhou, Guofu; Zhang, Zhang; Liu, Junming
• Is Part Of: Nanoscale. Volume 10:Issue 7(2018)
• Page Start: 3518
• Page End: 3525
• Publication Date: 2018-02-06
• Subjects: Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; 620.505
• DOI: 10.1039/c7nr09235k
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-3364

Abstract

Abstract : A one-step chemical vapor deposition for the synthesis of SiNWs/MoS2 photocathodes for efficient and stable solar-driven hydrogen production. Abstract : Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are widely used as photocathodes because of their large electrochemically available surface-area density and inherent ability to decouple light absorption from the transport of minority carriers. In order to minimize overpotential for solar-driven hydrogen (H2 ) production, a combination of an ultrathin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ) layer with SiNWs as photocathode has attracted much attention. Herein, for the first time, this study presents the synthesis of a composite photocathode via direct growth of ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets on SiNWs (referred to as SiNWs/MoS2 ) by one-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Due to the high surface-area density of the arrays of SiNWs, the discontinuous MoS2 nanosheets grown on the SiNWs achieved a much higher density of active sites. Moreover, the coating of MoS2 on the SiNWs was found to protect the photocathode during the photoelectrochemical (PEC) reaction. A high efficiency with photocurrent j sc of 16.5 mA cm −2 (at 0 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode) and an excellent stability over 48 h of PEC operation were achieved under a simulated 1 sun irradiation.