Interface Engineering of BiFeO3/ZnO p-n Heterojunctions for Enhanced Charge Separation in Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

IF 2.3 4区化学 Q3 CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL

Catalysis Letters Pub Date : 2026-02-12 DOI:10.1007/s10562-026-05324-5

Huanyu Shen, Xuemei Lu, Meng Cao, Feng Nan

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Bismuth ferrite (BFO), a p-type semiconductor with notable visible-light absorption, is an attractive photocathode material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems. This study presents a facile route to construct BFO/ZnO heterojunctions on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates via sol-gel and scraping method. A comprehensive characterization of the samples, including surface morphology, crystal structure, and chemical states, confirmed the successful fabrication of the BFO/ZnO heterojunction. The pure BFO exhibits photocathode behavior, with a negative photocurrent of -7.0 µA/cm², consistent with its p-type semiconductor characteristic. All heterojunction samples exhibited enhanced PEC performance, as demonstrated by the higher photocurrent densities. A maximum photocurrent density of -24.6 µA/cm² was detected in the optimal BFO/ZnO heterojunction sample, which was 3.51 folds by that of the pure BFO. The enhancement of PEC properties can be attributed to the built-in electric field (E_bif) of the p-n junction, which can promote the separation and transfer efficiency of charge carriers, analyzed by the carrier dynamics and the well band alignment. This research offers a promising strategy for developing low-cost and efficient PEC conversion devices.

Graphical Abstract

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光电化学水分解中增强电荷分离的BiFeO3/ZnO p-n异质结界面工程

铋铁氧体（BFO）是一种具有显著可见光吸收的p型半导体，是一种有吸引力的光电化学（PEC）正极材料。本研究提出了一种在氟掺杂氧化锡（FTO）衬底上通过溶胶-凝胶和刮擦法构建BFO/ZnO异质结的简便途径。对样品的表面形貌、晶体结构和化学状态进行了全面表征，证实了BFO/ZnO异质结的成功制备。纯BFO具有光电阴极特性，负光电流为-7.0 μ a /cm²，符合其p型半导体特性。所有异质结样品都表现出增强的PEC性能，这是由更高的光电流密度证明的。最佳BFO/ZnO异质结样品的最大光电流密度为-24.6µA/cm²，是纯BFO的3.51倍。通过载流子动力学和良好的带向分析，发现p-n结的内置电场（Ebif）可以促进载流子的分离和转移效率，从而提高了PEC性能的增强。本研究为开发低成本、高效的PEC转换装置提供了一条有前途的策略。图形抽象

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Catalysis Letters 化学-物理化学

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

3.60%

发文量

327

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： Catalysis Letters aim is the rapid publication of outstanding and high-impact original research articles in catalysis. The scope of the journal covers a broad range of topics in all fields of both applied and theoretical catalysis, including heterogeneous, homogeneous and biocatalysis. The high-quality original research articles published in Catalysis Letters are subject to rigorous peer review. Accepted papers are published online first and subsequently in print issues. All contributions must include a graphical abstract. Manuscripts should be written in English and the responsibility lies with the authors to ensure that they are grammatically and linguistically correct. Authors for whom English is not the working language are encouraged to consider using a professional language-editing service before submitting their manuscripts.