{"title":"Highly enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity of NiFe/Ni/BiVO4 photoanode by a facile photoelectron-activation process in neutral solution","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochem.2024.115950","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Photoelectrocatalytic water splitting is a promising approach to convert solar energy to hydorgen energy. Delicate design of photoanode is crucial for the excellent catalytic activity. Here, a NiFe-LDH/Ni/BiVO<sub>4</sub> composite photoanode was prepared by magnetron sputtering of Ni followed by electrochemical deposition of NiFe-LDH on BiVO<sub>4</sub> photoelectrode. Interestingly, after a concise photoelectron-activation process, a photocurrent of 4.9 mA/cm<sup>2</sup> (1.23 V vs. RHE) was obtained in neutral solution, which is 4 times of the pristine BiVO<sub>4</sub> photoanode. The photoelectro-activation process not only enhances the photocurrent, but also significantly supresses the positive spiking phenomenon of the photocurrent. A series of characterizaitons including XRD, SEM, EDX, HRTEM, and XPS ect. were performed, which revealed that the photoelectron-activation process led to the reconstruction of the surface structure of NiFe-LDH/Ni/BiVO<sub>4</sub>. The dynamic characterizaitons including stepped potential chronoamperometry, steady-state photoluminescence (PL) spectra, open-circuit potential diagrams, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) ect. were performed. It indicates that the activated samples can provide an enhanced internal electric field and enable the charge carriers being efficiently injected into the electrode/electrolyte interface to promote the water oxidation reaction. This investigation provided a facile activation method for BiVO<sub>4</sub>-based composite photoanode, and highly increase the PEC performance in neutral condition.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16782,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-chemistry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1010603024004945/pdfft?md5=26b34112de1db858ac64e3d142ac723d&pid=1-s2.0-S1010603024004945-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-chemistry","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1010603024004945","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Photoelectrocatalytic water splitting is a promising approach to convert solar energy to hydorgen energy. Delicate design of photoanode is crucial for the excellent catalytic activity. Here, a NiFe-LDH/Ni/BiVO4 composite photoanode was prepared by magnetron sputtering of Ni followed by electrochemical deposition of NiFe-LDH on BiVO4 photoelectrode. Interestingly, after a concise photoelectron-activation process, a photocurrent of 4.9 mA/cm2 (1.23 V vs. RHE) was obtained in neutral solution, which is 4 times of the pristine BiVO4 photoanode. The photoelectro-activation process not only enhances the photocurrent, but also significantly supresses the positive spiking phenomenon of the photocurrent. A series of characterizaitons including XRD, SEM, EDX, HRTEM, and XPS ect. were performed, which revealed that the photoelectron-activation process led to the reconstruction of the surface structure of NiFe-LDH/Ni/BiVO4. The dynamic characterizaitons including stepped potential chronoamperometry, steady-state photoluminescence (PL) spectra, open-circuit potential diagrams, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) ect. were performed. It indicates that the activated samples can provide an enhanced internal electric field and enable the charge carriers being efficiently injected into the electrode/electrolyte interface to promote the water oxidation reaction. This investigation provided a facile activation method for BiVO4-based composite photoanode, and highly increase the PEC performance in neutral condition.
期刊介绍:
JPPA publishes the results of fundamental studies on all aspects of chemical phenomena induced by interactions between light and molecules/matter of all kinds.
All systems capable of being described at the molecular or integrated multimolecular level are appropriate for the journal. This includes all molecular chemical species as well as biomolecular, supramolecular, polymer and other macromolecular systems, as well as solid state photochemistry. In addition, the journal publishes studies of semiconductor and other photoactive organic and inorganic materials, photocatalysis (organic, inorganic, supramolecular and superconductor).
The scope includes condensed and gas phase photochemistry, as well as synchrotron radiation chemistry. A broad range of processes and techniques in photochemistry are covered such as light induced energy, electron and proton transfer; nonlinear photochemical behavior; mechanistic investigation of photochemical reactions and identification of the products of photochemical reactions; quantum yield determinations and measurements of rate constants for primary and secondary photochemical processes; steady-state and time-resolved emission, ultrafast spectroscopic methods, single molecule spectroscopy, time resolved X-ray diffraction, luminescence microscopy, and scattering spectroscopy applied to photochemistry. Papers in emerging and applied areas such as luminescent sensors, electroluminescence, solar energy conversion, atmospheric photochemistry, environmental remediation, and related photocatalytic chemistry are also welcome.