Issue 1, 2023

In situ surface-trap passivation of CuBi2O4 photocathodes for unbiased solar water splitting

Abstract

Passivating surface traps plays a crucial role in mitigating the efficiency loss of solar water-splitting electrodes. However, the associated surface-trap passivation approaches require the introduction of an overlayer, complicating the fabrication process and increasing the capital cost of photoelectrodes. Herein, using CuBi2O4 as a prototype, an in situ surface-trap passivation strategy is developed, which yields a beneficial 90 mV anodic shift in hydrogen-evolution onset. Detailed mechanism investigations prove that the intentionally added Mg2+ ions in the precursor gradually segregate as MgO and enrich at the grain boundaries/surface of the CuBi2O4 multicrystalline, porous film during annealing, via which surface traps stemming from dangling bonds are spontaneously passivated; measurements of photovoltage generation characteristics and carrier lifetime validate the favorable roles of the MgO passivator in CuBi2O4 photocathodes. A bias-free water-splitting device is assembled using MgO-passivated CuBi2O4 and Mo-doped BiVO4 as the photocathode and photoanode respectively in a tandem configuration, delivering a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of approximately 0.41%.

Graphical abstract: In situ surface-trap passivation of CuBi2O4 photocathodes for unbiased solar water splitting

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Sep 2022
Accepted
30 Nov 2022
First published
30 Nov 2022

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023,11, 149-157

In situ surface-trap passivation of CuBi2O4 photocathodes for unbiased solar water splitting

Y. Hu, J. Wang, H. Huang, J. Feng, W. Liu, H. Guan, L. Hao, Z. Li and Z. Zou, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 149 DOI: 10.1039/D2TA07117G

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