NiFePB-modified ZnO/BiVO4 photoanode for PEC water oxidation. Issue 17 (11th April 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bai, Shouli; Jia, Shiyu; Zhao, Yingying; Feng, Yongjun; Luo, Ruixian; Li, Dianqing; Chen, Aifan
• Is Part Of: Dalton transactions. Volume 52:Issue 17(2023)
• Page Start: 5760
• Page End: 5770
• Publication Date: 2023-04-11
• Subjects: Chemistry, Inorganic -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Physical and theoretical -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Inorganic -- Periodicals; 546.05
• DOI: 10.1039/d3dt00013c
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1477-9226

Abstract

Abstract : The ZnO/BiVO4 /NiFePB photoanode was fabricated successfully and showed the excellent performance of PEC water oxidation compared with the ZnO photoanode, which is attributed to the formation of a heterojunction and decoration of NiFePB cocatalyst. Abstract : Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has been recognized as the most promising approach for directly converting solar energy into chemical energy, and substantial efforts have been made to develop a highly efficient and low-cost photoanode for enhancement of PEC water splitting efficiency due to sluggish water oxidation reaction kinetics. A ternary NiFePB-modified ZnO/BiVO4 heterojunction photoanode was simply assembled by low-temperature hydrothermal, metal–organic decomposition and electrodeposition methods to improve the water splitting efficiency; its photocurrent density for water oxidation reached 1.66 mA cm −2 at 1.23 V ( vs . RHE); in comparison, that of ZnO is only 0.4 mA cm −2 . The onset potential manifests a cathodic shift of ∼283 mV compared to ZnO. The IPCE and the ABPE respectively are 3.1 and 6.4 times those of ZnO, respectively. This improvement is ascribed to the efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes by the formation of a heterojunction between ZnO and BiVO4 and the enhancement in the oxygen evolution reaction kinetics by the decoration of the co-catalyst NiFePB as a hole acceptor.