The article, entitled “Promoting Selective Water Oxidation to Hydrogen Peroxide in BiVO₄ Photoanode: Interplay of Preferential Crystal Facet and Adsorbed Bicarbonate” (DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.5c02383), is led by Dr. Hao Wu and Prof. Yun Hau Ng (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) as co-corresponding authors. Dr. Songying Qu, postdoctoral researcher at SEECAT Group, is the first author of the study.

This work addresses a long-standing challenge in solar-to-chemical energy conversion, the selective production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) through photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. While H₂O₂ is a vital green chemical for disinfection, environmental remediation, and industrial applications, its direct solar-driven synthesis has been hindered by competing oxygen evolution reactions. The team demonstrated that by engineering the crystal facets of BiVO₄ photoanodes and introducing bicarbonate electrolytes, the (040) facet can significantly lower the energy barrier for H₂O-to-H₂O₂ conversion. As a result, the facet-engineered BiVO₄ achieved a 3.7-fold enhancement in H₂O₂ yield compared with conventional designs, with a peak Faradaic efficiency of 53.7% under simulated sunlight. The study combines advanced spectroscopy, in-situ electrochemical techniques, and theoretical simulations to reveal the interplay of surface structure and electrolyte chemistry in governing reaction pathways.

Songying reported the interplay of preferential crystal facet and adsorbed bicarbonate in promoting selective water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide