Ferroelectric Polarization in BaTiO Nanocrystals Controls Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation and Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Ferroelectric (FE) semiconductors such as BaTiO support a remnant polarization after the application of an electric field that can promote the separation of photogenerated charge carriers. Here, we demonstrate FE-enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and photoelectrochemical water oxidation with barium titanate nanocrystals for the first time. Nanocrystals of the ferroelectric tetragonal structure type were obtained by a hydrothermal synthesis from TiO and barium hydroxide in 63% yield. BaTiO nanocrystal films on tantalum substrates exhibit water oxidation photocurrents of 0.141 mA cm at 1.23 V RHE under UV light (60 mW cm) illumination. Electric polarization at 52.8 kV cm normal to the film plane increases the photocurrent by a factor of 2 or decreases it by a factor of 3.5, depending on the field polarity. It also shifts the onset potential by -0.15 or +0.09 V and it modifies the surface photovoltage signal. Lastly, exposure to an electric field increases the H evolution rate of Pt/BaTiO by a factor of ∼1.5, and it raises the selectivity of photodeposition of silver onto the (001) facets of the nanocrystal. All FE enhancements can be removed by heating samples above the Curie temperature of BaTiO. These findings can be explained by FE dipole-induced changes to the potential drop across the space charge layer of the material. The ability to use the ferroelectric effect to enhance hydrogen evolution and water oxidation is of potential interest for the development of improved solar energy for fuel conversion systems.