Integrated Carbon Layer and CoNiP Cocatalyst on SnWO Film for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

α-SnWO is a promising semiconductor for solar water splitting, however, its performance is limited by weak water oxidation and poor charge transfer. In this study, we employ a vapor deposition method to uniformly implement a carbon layer onto the surface of SnWO coupled with a CoNiP cocatalyst, successfully constructing the integrated CoNiP/C/SnWO film photoanode and alleviating the oxidation of Sn when loading electrocatalyst. Incorporating the carbon layer enhances the interface charge conduction behavior between the SnWO substrate and the CoNiP cocatalyst, thereby mitigating charge recombination. The synergistic interplay between the carbon layer and CoNiP leads to a remarkable achievement, as evidenced by the photocurrent of 1.72 mA cm (1.23 V vs. RHE) observed for SnWO film measured in 0.2 M potassium phosphate buffer solution. In this work, we demonstrate the viability of tailoring SnWO photoanode and provide valuable insights for prospective advancements in modifying SnWO photoanode.