Enhanced solar-driven photoelectrochemical water splitting using nanoflower Au/CuO/GaN hybrid photoanodes.

Harnessing solar energy for large-scale hydrogen fuel (H) production shows promise in addressing the energy crisis and ecological degradation. This study focuses on the development of GaN-based photoelectrodes for efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, enabling environmentally friendly H production. Herein, a novel nanoflower Au/CuO/GaN hybrid structure was successfully synthesized using a combination of methods including successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), RF/DC sputtering, and metal-organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) techniques.