A Water‐Splitting Carbon Nitride Photoelectrochemical Cell with Efficient Charge Separation and Remarkably Low Onset Potential. (8th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Peng, Guiming; Albero, Josep; Garcia, Hermenegildo; Shalom, Menny
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie. Volume 130:Number 48(2018)
• Page Start: 16033
• Page End: 16037
• Publication Date: 2018-11-08
• Subjects: Kohlenstoffnitrid -- Kristalline 2D-Materialien -- Photoanoden -- Photoelektrochemische cellen -- Wasserspaltung; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.201810225
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0044-8249

Abstract

Abstract: A simple method to grow a closely packed carbon nitride (CN) film by the crystallization of CN monomers on a conductive substrate followed by a thermal condensation is reported. The as‐synthesized CN exhibits excellent performance as photoanode material in a photoelectrochemical cell. Detailed (photo)electrochemical and transient absorption measurements indicate excellent charge separation properties, high hole‐extraction efficiency (up to 50 %), a long electron lifetime, and low amount of defect states below the CN conduction band. Consequently, the CN photoanode exhibits a markedly low overpotential of 0.25 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), which is comparable with the state‐of‐the‐art metal‐based photoanodes, an impressive photocurrent density of 116 μA cm −2 at 1.23 V versus RHE in an alkaline solution without sacrificial agent, as well as excellent stability over a wide pH range (0–13).