Cobalt Hexacyanoferrate on BiVO Photoanodes for Robust Water Splitting.

The efficient integration of photoactive and catalytic materials is key to promoting photoelectrochemical water splitting as a sustainable energy technology built on solar power. Here, we report highly stable water splitting photoanodes from BiVO photoactive cores decorated with CoFe Prussian blue-type electrocatalysts (CoFe-PB). This combination decreases the onset potential of BiVO by ∼0.

Cooperative Catalytic Effect of ZrO and α-Fe O Nanoparticles on BiVO Photoanodes for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

Photoelectrochemical water splitting with metal oxide semiconductors offers a cost-competitive alternative for the generation of solar fuels. Most of the materials studied so far suffer from poor charge-transfer kinetics at the semiconductor/liquid interface, making compulsory the use of catalytic layers to overcome the large overpotentials required for the water oxidation reaction. Herein, we report a very soft electrolytic synthesis deposition method, which allows remarkably enhanced water oxidation kinetics of BiVO photoanodes by the sequential addition of Zr and Fe precursors.

Understanding the synergistic effect of WO3-BiVO4 heterostructures by impedance spectroscopy.

WO3-BiVO4 n-n heterostructures have demonstrated remarkable performance in photoelectrochemical water splitting due to the synergistic effect between the individual components. Although the enhanced functional capabilities of this system have been widely reported, in-depth mechanistic studies explaining the carrier dynamics of this heterostructure are limited. The main goal is to provide rational design strategies for further optimization as well as to extend these strategies to different candidate systems for solar fuel production.

Controlled carbon nitride growth on surfaces for hydrogen evolution electrodes.

Efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction are highly desired for future renewable energy systems. Described herein is the reduction of water to hydrogen using a metal-free carbon nitride electrocatalyst which operates in neutral and alkaline environments. An efficient, easy, and general method for growing ordered carbon nitride on different electrodes was developed.

Relaxation of Electron Carriers in the Density of States of Nanocrystalline TiO2.

Band gap localized states and surface states play a dominant role in the application of nanocrystalline metal oxides to photovoltaics and solar fuel production. Electrons injected in nanocrystalline TiO2 by voltage or photogeneration are mainly located in band gap states. Therefore, charging a nanoparticulate semiconductor network allows one to recover the density of states (DOS) in the energy axis.