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Nomellini C, Polo A, Mesa CA, Pastor E, Marra G, Grigioni I, Dozzi MV, Giménez S, Selli E. Improved Photoelectrochemical Performance of WO 3/BiVO 4 Heterojunction Photoanodes via WO 3 Nanostructuring. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15. [PMID: 37921705 PMCID: PMC10658457 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c10869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
WO3/BiVO4 heterojunction photoanodes can be efficiently employed in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells for the conversion of water into molecular oxygen, the kinetic bottleneck of water splitting. Composite WO3/BiVO4 photoelectrodes possessing a nanoflake-like morphology have been synthesized through a multistep process and their PEC performance was investigated in comparison to that of WO3/BiVO4 photoelectrodes displaying a planar surface morphology and similar absorption properties and thickness. PEC tests, also in the presence of a sacrificial hole scavenger, electrochemical impedance analysis under simulated solar irradiation, and incident photon to current efficiency measurements highlighted that charge transport and charge recombination issues affecting the performance of the planar composite can be successfully overcome by nanostructuring the WO3 underlayer in nanoflake-like WO3/BiVO4 heterojunction electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Nomellini
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via C. Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Annalisa Polo
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via C. Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Camilo A. Mesa
- Institute
of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat
Jaume I, Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, S/N, 12006 Castelló, Spain
| | - Ernest Pastor
- Institute
of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat
Jaume I, Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, S/N, 12006 Castelló, Spain
- IPR−Institut
de Physique de Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6251 Université de Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Gianluigi Marra
- Eni
S.p.A Novara Laboratories (NOLAB) Renewable, New Energies and Material
Science Research Center (DE-R&D) Via G. Fauser 4, I-28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Ivan Grigioni
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via C. Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Dozzi
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via C. Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Sixto Giménez
- Institute
of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat
Jaume I, Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, S/N, 12006 Castelló, Spain
| | - Elena Selli
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via C. Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano, Italy
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2
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Grigioni I, Polo A, Nomellini C, Vigni L, Poma A, Dozzi MV, Selli E. Nature of Charge Carrier Recombination in CuWO 4 Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS 2023; 6:10020-10029. [PMID: 37830012 PMCID: PMC10565723 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.3c01608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
CuWO4 is a ternary semiconductor oxide with excellent visible light harvesting properties up to 550 nm and stability at high pH values, which make it a suitable material to build photoanodes for solar light conversion to hydrogen via water splitting. In this work, we studied the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of transparent CuWO4 electrodes with tunable light absorption and thickness, aiming at identifying the intrinsic bottlenecks of photogenerated charge carriers in this semiconductor. We found that electrodes with optimal CuWO4 thickness exhibit visible light activity due to the absorption of long-wavelength photons and a balanced electron and hole extraction from the oxide. The PEC performance of CuWO4 is light-intensity-dependent, with charge recombination increasing with light intensity and most photogenerated charge carriers recombining in bulk sites, as demonstrated by PEC tests performed in the presence of sacrificial agents or cocatalysts. The best-performing 580 nm thick CuWO4 electrode delivers a photocurrent of 0.37 mA cm-2 at 1.23 VSHE, with a 7% absorbed photon to current efficiency over the CuWO4 absorption spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Grigioni
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Annalisa Polo
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Chiara Nomellini
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Vigni
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Poma
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Dozzi
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Selli
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
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3
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Grigioni I, Polo A, Dozzi MV, Stamplecoskie KG, Jara DH, Kamat PV, Selli E. Enhanced Charge Carrier Separation in WO 3/BiVO 4 Photoanodes Achieved via Light Absorption in the BiVO 4 Layer. ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS 2022; 5:13142-13148. [PMID: 36465258 PMCID: PMC9709765 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.2c02597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting converts solar light and water into oxygen and energy-rich hydrogen. WO3/BiVO4 heterojunction photoanodes perform much better than the separate oxide components, though internal charge recombination undermines their PEC performance when both oxides absorb light. Here we exploit the BiVO4 layer to sensitize WO3 to visible light and shield it from direct photoexcitation to overcome this efficiency loss. PEC experiments and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy performed by frontside (through BiVO4) or backside (through WO3) irradiating photoanodes with different BiVO4 layer thickness demonstrate that irradiation through BiVO4 is beneficial for charge separation. Optimized electrodes irradiated through BiVO4 show 40% higher photocurrent density compared to backside irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Grigioni
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via Golgi 19, Milano20133, Italy
| | - Annalisa Polo
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via Golgi 19, Milano20133, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Dozzi
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via Golgi 19, Milano20133, Italy
| | | | - Danilo H. Jara
- Facultad
de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad
Adolfo Ibáñez, Avenida Padre Hurtado 750, Viña del
Mar7941169, Chile
| | - Prashant V. Kamat
- Radiation
Laboratory, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana46556, United States
| | - Elena Selli
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via Golgi 19, Milano20133, Italy
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4
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Zhao Z, Zhu M, Luo X, Cheng H, Chen H, Xuan W, Zheng H. Synergistic effects of nano-structured WO 3-Se heterojunction decorated by organic Nafion layer on improving photoelectrochemical performance. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 34:045401. [PMID: 36265458 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac9c0a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Exploration of high-performance photoanodes is considered as an essential challenge in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting due to the complex four-electron reaction in water oxidation. Herein, the nano-structured WO3-Se heterojunction decorated by organic Nafion layer is designed. The optimized WO3-Se200-0.05Nafion photoanode shows a remarkable photocurrent of 1.40 mA cm-2at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, which is 2.5-fold higher than that of pure WO3nanosheets (WO3NS) photoelectrode. Remarkably, the photocurrent increments of WO3-Se200-0.05Nafion is larger than the increment sum of WO3-Se200 and WO3-0.05Nafion, which affirming the synergistic effect of Se nanospheres and Nafion layer. The improved PEC performances are attributed to the quick charge separation and transfer, the increased electric conductivity, and the excellent kinetics of oxygen evolution, which is derived from the strong interaction among WO3, Se and Nafion. Meanwhile, the better visible-light harvesting from Se nanospheres as photosensitizer and the induction of transparent Nafion as a passivation layer can explain this synergy. It hopes this heterostructure design with organic Nafion decoration can inspire to exploit outstanding performance photoanodes for PEC water splitting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhefei Zhao
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengkai Zhu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingyu Luo
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbo Cheng
- Quzhou BDX New Chemical Materials Co., Ltd, Quzhou 324012, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongsong Chen
- Quzhou BDX New Chemical Materials Co., Ltd, Quzhou 324012, People's Republic of China
| | - Weidong Xuan
- College of Water and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Hangzhou 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Huajun Zheng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry Synthesis Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, People's Republic of China
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5
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Grigioni I, Di Liberto G, Dozzi MV, Tosoni S, Pacchioni G, Selli E. WO 3/BiVO 4 Photoanodes: Facets Matching at the Heterojunction and BiVO 4 Layer Thickness Effects. ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS 2021; 4:8421-8431. [PMID: 34485843 PMCID: PMC8414527 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.1c01623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion offers a way to directly store light into energy-rich chemicals. Photoanodes based on the WO3/BiVO4 heterojunction are most effective mainly thanks to the efficient separation of photogenerated charges. The WO3/BiVO4 interfacial space region in the heterojunction is investigated here with the increasing thickness of the BiVO4 layer over a WO3 scaffold. On the basis of X-ray diffraction analysis results, density functional theory simulations show a BiVO4 growth over the WO3 layer along the BiVO4 {010} face, driven by the formation of a stable interface with new covalent bonds, with a favorable band alignment and band bending between the two oxides. This crystal facet phase matching allows a smooth transition between the electronic states of the two oxides and may be a key factor ensuring the high efficiency attained with this heterojunction. The photoelectrochemical activity of the WO3/BiVO4 photoanodes depends on both the irradiation wavelength and the thickness of the visible-light-absorbing BiVO4 layer, a 75 nm thick BiVO4 layer on WO3 being best performing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Grigioni
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via Golgi
19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Di Liberto
- Dipartimento
di Scienza dei Materiali, Università
di Milano-Bicocca, Via
Cozzi 55, 20125 Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Dozzi
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via Golgi
19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Sergio Tosoni
- Dipartimento
di Scienza dei Materiali, Università
di Milano-Bicocca, Via
Cozzi 55, 20125 Milano, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Pacchioni
- Dipartimento
di Scienza dei Materiali, Università
di Milano-Bicocca, Via
Cozzi 55, 20125 Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Selli
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Via Golgi
19, 20133 Milano, Italy
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Polo A, Nomellini C, Grigioni I, Dozzi MV, Selli E. Effective Visible Light Exploitation by Copper Molybdo-tungstate Photoanodes. ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS 2020; 3:6956-6964. [PMID: 33829150 PMCID: PMC8016397 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.0c01021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The need for stable oxide-based semiconductors with a narrow band gap, able to maximize the exploitation of the visible light portion of the solar spectrum, is a challenging issue for photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) applications. In the present work, CuW1-x Mo x O4 (E g = 2.0 eV for x = 0.5), which exhibits a significantly reduced optical band gap E g compared with isostructural CuWO4 (E g = 2.3 eV), was investigated as a photoactive material for the preparation of photoanodes. CuW0.5Mo0.5O4 electrodes with different thicknesses (80-530 nm), prepared by a simple solution-based process in the form of multilayer films, effectively exhibit visible light photoactivity up to 650 nm (i.e., extended compared with CuWO4 photoanodes prepared by the same way). Furthermore, the systematic investigation on the effects on photoactivity of the CuW0.5Mo0.5O4 layer thickness evidenced that long-wavelength photons can better be exploited by thicker electrodes. PEC measurements in the presence of NaNO2, acting as a suitable hole scavenger ensuring enhanced photocurrent generation compared with that of water oxidation while minimizing dark currents, allowed us to elucidate the role that molybdenum incorporation plays on the charge separation efficiency in the bulk and on the charge injection efficiency at the photoanode surface. The adopted Mo for W substitution increases the visible light photoactivity of copper tungstate toward improved exploitation and storage of visible light into chemical energy via photoelectrocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Polo
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Chiara Nomellini
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Ivan Grigioni
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Dozzi
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Selli
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano, Italy
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7
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Botella P, López-Moreno S, Errandonea D, Manjón FJ, Sans JA, Vie D, Vomiero A. High-pressure characterization of multifunctional CrVO 4. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2020; 32:385403. [PMID: 32422628 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ab9408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The structural stability and physical properties of CrVO4under compression were studied by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, optical absorption, resistivity measurements, andab initiocalculations up to 10 GPa. High-pressure x-ray diffraction and Raman measurements show that CrVO4undergoes a phase transition from the ambient pressure orthorhombic CrVO4-type structure (Cmcm space group, phase III) to the high-pressure monoclinic CrVO4-V phase, which is proposed to be isomorphic to the wolframite structure. Such a phase transition (CrVO4-type → wolframite), driven by pressure, also was previously observed in indium vanadate. The crystal structure of both phases and the pressure dependence in unit-cell parameters, Raman-active modes, resistivity, and electronic band gap, are reported. Vanadium atoms are sixth-fold coordinated in the wolframite phase, which is related to the collapse in the volume at the phase transition. Besides, we also observed drastic changes in the phonon spectrum, a drop of the band-gap, and a sharp decrease of resistivity. All the observed phenomena are explained with the help of first-principles calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Botella
- Division of Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - S López-Moreno
- CONACYT-División de Materiales Avanzados, IPICYT, Camino a la Presa San José 2055, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. 78216, México
| | - D Errandonea
- Departament de Física Aplicada-ICMUV, MALTA Consolider Team, Universitat de València, Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - F J Manjón
- Instituto de Diseño para la Fabricación y Producción Automatizada, MALTA Consolider Team, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain
| | - J A Sans
- Instituto de Diseño para la Fabricación y Producción Automatizada, MALTA Consolider Team, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain
| | - D Vie
- Institut de Ciència dels Materials de la Universitat de València, Apartado de Correos 2085, E-46071 València, Spain
| | - A Vomiero
- Division of Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, via Torino 155, 30172 Venezia, Italy
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Multilayer WO3/BiVO4 Photoanodes for Solar-Driven Water Splitting Prepared by RF-Plasma Sputtering. SURFACES 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/surfaces3010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A series of WO3, BiVO4 and WO3/BiVO4 heterojunction coatings were deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), by means of reactive radio frequency (RF) plasma (co)sputtering, and tested as photoanodes for water splitting under simulated AM 1.5 G solar light in a three-electrode photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell in a 0.5 M NaSO4 electrolyte solution. The PEC performance and time stability of the heterojunction increases with an increase of the WO3 innermost layer up to 1000 nm. A two-step calcination treatment (600 °C after WO3 deposition followed by 400 °C after BiVO4 deposition) led to a most performing photoanode under back-side irradiation, generating a photocurrent density of 1.7 mA cm−2 at 1.4 V vs. SCE (i.e., two-fold and five-fold higher than that generated by individual WO3 and BiVO4 photoanodes, respectively). The incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) measurements reveal the presence of two activity regions over the heterojunction with respect to WO3 alone: The PEC efficiency increases due to improved charge carrier separation above 450 nm (i.e., below the WO3 excitation energy), while it decreases below 450 nm (i.e., when both semiconductors are excited) due to electron–hole recombination at the interface of the two semiconductors.
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