Enhanced photoelectrochemical hydrogen production via linked BiVO4 nanoparticles on anodic WO3 nanocoral structures†
a
Kiyoung
Lee
*a
Abstract
Morphological properties of photoanodes are crucial for improving their photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. In this study, we fabricated bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) nanoparticles (NPs) with an optimal size of ∼10 nm, as well as nanowires composed of NPs on anodized tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanocoral structures. The linked BiVO4 NPs were decorated by spin-coating, with the amount of the BiVO4 precursor being controlled. Subsequently, the concentrations of Bi and V in the BiVO4 precursor were determined. An optimized concentration of 0.3 M Bi and V for the linked BiVO4 NPs/WO3 nanocoral heterostructure led to enhanced photocurrent density and hydrogen gas-production compared to those of the pristine WO3 nanocorals, yielding results that were 2.4 times higher. In particular, the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency value at 410 nm improved by 8.3 times, as the linked BiVO4 NPs attained efficient absorbance of visible light and a sufficient electron transfer pathway.
- This article is part of the themed collections: Solar Fuels and Chemicals: Photocatalytic Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction and Recent Open Access Articles
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