Adjusting the Covalency of Metal-Oxygen Bonds in CuBiO by Zn Cation Doping to Achieve Highly Efficient Photocathodes.

Zn doped CuBiO photocathodes are prepared by using a low-cost solution-based spray pyrolysis method. The doping of Zn in CuBiO promotes the separation and migration of carriers and effectively increases the carrier density. Compared with CuBiO alone, the photoelectrochemical activity of the Zn doped CuBiO photoelectrode is improved with the photocurrent density of -0.56 mA/cm at 0.4 V vs. RHE. This improvement is due to the lower electronegativity of Zn, which leads to the covalent increase of Cu-O and Bi-O bonds in CuBiO, which limits the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes and improves charge separation and transport. This study presents an innovative approach to enhance the charge separation efficiencies of photocathodes by implementing element doping strategies, which may contribute to further research on photocatalytic water splitting.