Enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting performance of α-Fe2O3 photoanodes through Co-modification with Co single atoms and g-C3N4

Abstract

The practical application of α-Fe₂O₃ in water splitting is hindered by significant charge recombination and slow water oxidation. To address this issue, a CoSAs–g-C₃N₄/Fe₂O₃ (CoSAs: cobalt single atoms) photoanode was fabricated in this study through the co-modification of CoSAs and g-C₃N₄ to enhance photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The coupling between g-C₃N₄ and α-Fe₂O₃ resulted in the formation of a heterojunction, which provided a strong built-in electric field and an additional driving force to mitigate charge recombination. Moreover, g-C₃N₄ served as a suitable carrier for single atoms, which effectively anchored CoSAs through N/C coordination. The highly dispersed CoSAs provided abundant active sites, which further promoted surface holes extraction and oxidation kinetics, resulting in higher PEC performance and photostability. This study indicates the benefits of these collaborative strategies and provides more efficient designs for solar energy conversion in PEC systems.