Engineering BiVO 4 and Oxygen Evolution Cocatalyst Interfaces with Rapid Hole Extraction for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

Tailoring the oxygen evolution cocatalyst (OEC)/BiVO4 interfaces with a hole transfer layer (HTL) is expected to suppress the interfacial charge recombination, thus achieving highly efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, Co3O4 nanoparticles are inserted between the NiOOH OEC and BiVO4 as an HTL for the design of NiOOH/Co3O4/BiVO4 photoanodes. A champion photoanode achieves a photocurrent density of 6.4 mA cm–2 at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) under AM 1.5 G illumination (100 mW cm–2). Stable PEC water splitting is realized for up to 90 h. Being highly dispersed at the surfaces of BiVO4, the p-type Co3O4 nanoparticles form p–n junctions with BiVO4, thus providing…

• SA
  Science and Technology Foundation of Shenzhen City

  Award: JCYJ20220530161615035
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 52002328
• CU
  Central University Basic Research Fund of China