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Liu J, Luo Z, Mao X, Dong Y, Peng L, Sun-Waterhouse D, Kennedy JV, Waterhouse GIN. Recent Advances in Self-Supported Semiconductor Heterojunction Nanoarrays as Efficient Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2204553. [PMID: 36135974 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202204553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Growth of semiconductor heterojunction nanoarrays directly on conductive substrates represents a promising strategy toward high-performance photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. By controlling the growth conditions, heterojunction nanoarrays with different morphologies and semiconductor components can be fabricated, resulting in greatly enhanced light-absorption properties, stabilities, and PEC activities. Herein, recent progress in the development of self-supported heterostructured semiconductor nanoarrays as efficient photoanode catalysts for water oxidation is reviewed. Synthetic methods for the fabrication of heterojunction nanoarrays with specific compositions and structures are first discussed, including templating methods, wet chemical syntheses, electrochemical approaches and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. Then, various heterojunction nanoarrays that have been reported in recent years based on particular core semiconductor scaffolds (e.g., TiO2 , ZnO, WO3 , Fe2 O3 , etc.) are summarized, placing strong emphasis on the synergies generated at the interface between the semiconductor components that can favorably boost PEC water oxidation. Whilst strong progress has been made in recent years to enhance the visible-light responsiveness, photon-to-O2 conversion efficiency and stability of photoanodes based on heterojunction nanoarrays, further advancements in all these areas are needed for PEC water splitting to gain any traction alongside photovoltaic-electrochemical (PV-EC) systems as a viable and cost-effective route toward the hydrogen economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlong Liu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - Ziyu Luo
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Xichen Mao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yusong Dong
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - Lishan Peng
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - Dongxiao Sun-Waterhouse
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - John V Kennedy
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
- National Isotope Centre, GNS Science, Lower Hutt, 5010, New Zealand
| | - Geoffrey I N Waterhouse
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
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Mavinakere Ramesh A, Kodandaram A, Kampalapura Swamy C, Gangadhar A, Nagabhushana CM, Shivanna S. Fabrication of spherical porous pAg 2O-nWO 3/Ag/GNS heterostructure with enhanced photocatalytic activity through plasmonic S-scheme mechanism and its complementing biological interest. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 294:133715. [PMID: 35093415 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The synthesis and characterization of Ag2OWO3/Ag/GNS heterostructure with desired modifications has been elucidated in the contemporary study. The fabrication involves a simple hydrothermal method for the configuration of fascinating heterostructures intended to photo-catalytically degrade Eosin Yellow (EY) dye. The toxic dye molecules were converted into non-toxic molecular intermediates, also the elimination of heavy metals from industrial wastewater, being trapped in the pores of heterostructure. The pn junction photocatalyst with plasmonic resonance of Ag for abolition of electron and hole coupling, enhances the photo-response where the catalyst abides S-Scheme mechanism. The work functions of active photocatalysts as calculated for Ag2O is 6.61eV and WO3 is 6.04eV. Furthermore, the Ag2OWO3/Ag/GNS photocatalysts recovery and reuse in several trials without any noticeable loss of photocatalytic activity, complimented the recyclability of the heterostructure. To ensure the safety of the environment on heterostructure being released, toxicity analysis were carried out. These Ag2OWO3/Ag/GNS heterostructures had optimistic result on cytotoxicity assay, and on Musmusculus skin melanoma cells (B16-F10), with anti-microbial/fungal properties. Thereby, the contemporary experiment upholds efficient photocatalysis and ropes multiple errands on biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhilash Mavinakere Ramesh
- Department of Studies in Environmental Science, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, 570 006, India; Centre for Materials Science and Technology, Vijinana Bhavan, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, 570 006, India.
| | - Anju Kodandaram
- Department of Studies in Environmental Science, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, 570 006, India
| | | | - Akshatha Gangadhar
- Department of Studies in Environmental Science, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, 570 006, India
| | | | - Srikantaswamy Shivanna
- Department of Studies in Environmental Science, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, 570 006, India; Centre for Materials Science and Technology, Vijinana Bhavan, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, 570 006, India.
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Kumar D, Sharma S, Khare N. Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of NaNbO 3 nanofiber photoanodes coupled with visible light active g-C 3N 4 nanosheets for water splitting. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2020; 31:135402. [PMID: 31747651 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ab59a1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sodium niobate nanofibers (NaNbO3-NF) have been synthesized using a hydrothermal technique and further coupled with visible light responsive graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets in different concentration ratios of 2:1 (2-CN), 4:1 (4-CN) and 8:1 (8-CN). A significant improvement in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of the g-C3N4/NaNbO3-NF (4-CN) nanostructured photoanode compared to the bare NaNbO3 photoanode is observed. A current density of 12.55 mA cm-2 at 1 V with respect to the Ag/AgCl reference electrode is achieved for the g-C3N4/NaNbO3-NF (4-CN) photoanode, which is ∼3 times higher than the NaNbO3-NF photoanode. Also, compared to NaNbO3-NF, the g-C3N4/NaNbO3-NF (4-CN) nanocomposite photoanode showed ∼3 times improvement in the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency. The improvement in the PEC performance of visible light active g-C3N4/NaNbO3-NF (4-CN) nanocomposite is attributed to the improved photoresponse of NaNbO3-NF due to the coupling of g-C3N4 and the formation of a type-II heterojunction between them leading to the enhanced separation of the photogenerated charge carriers. A possible reaction mechanism for the improved PEC water splitting performance has been proposed for the g-C3N4/NaNbO3-NF (4-CN) photoanode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dheeraj Kumar
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Haus Khaz, New Delhi 110016, India
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Xu Y, Wang X, Jin M, Kempa K, Shui L. Water Splitting Performance Enhancement of the TiO
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Nanorod Array Electrode with Ultrathin Black Phosphorus Nanosheets. ChemElectroChem 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.201901456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanmei Xu
- International Academy of Optoelectronics at ZhaoqingSouth China Normal University P.R. China
- National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced OptoelectronicsSouth China Normal University Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
- State Key Lab of Silicon MaterialsZhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 P.R. China
| | - Xin Wang
- International Academy of Optoelectronics at ZhaoqingSouth China Normal University P.R. China
- National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced OptoelectronicsSouth China Normal University Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
| | - Mingliang Jin
- International Academy of Optoelectronics at ZhaoqingSouth China Normal University P.R. China
- National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced OptoelectronicsSouth China Normal University Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
| | - Krzysztof Kempa
- International Academy of Optoelectronics at ZhaoqingSouth China Normal University P.R. China
- Department of PhysicsBoston College Massachusetts 02467 USA
| | - Lingling Shui
- International Academy of Optoelectronics at ZhaoqingSouth China Normal University P.R. China
- National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced OptoelectronicsSouth China Normal University Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
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Zheng G, Wang J, Liu H, Murugadoss V, Zu G, Che H, Lai C, Li H, Ding T, Gao Q, Guo Z. Tungsten oxide nanostructures and nanocomposites for photoelectrochemical water splitting. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:18968-18994. [PMID: 31361294 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr03474a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen production from photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting using semiconductor photocatalysts has attracted great attention to realize clean and renewable energy from solar energy. The visible light response of WO3 with a long hole diffusion length (∼150 nm) and good electron mobility (∼12 cm2 V-1 s-1) makes it suitable as the photoanode. However, WO3 suffers from issues including rapid recombination of photoexcited electron-hole pairs, photo-corrosion during the photocatalytic process due to the formation of peroxo-species, sluggish kinetics of photogenerated holes, and slow charge transfer at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface. This work highlights the approaches to overcome these drawbacks of WO3 photoanodes, including: (i) the manipulation of nanostructured WO3 photoanodes to decrease the nanoparticle size to promote hole migration to the WO3/electrolyte interface which benefits the charge separation; (ii) doping or introducing oxygen vacancies to improve electrical conductivity; exposing high energy crystal surfaces to promote the consumption of photogenerated holes on the high-active crystal face, thereby suppressing the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes; (iii) decorating with co-catalysts to reduce the overpotential which inhibits the formation of peroxo-species; (iv) other methods such as coupling with narrow band semiconductors to accelerate the charge separation and controlling the crystal phase via annealing to reduce defects. These approaches are reviewed with detailed examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangwei Zheng
- Key Lab of Advanced Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.
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Ning M, Chen Z, Li L, Meng Q, Chen Z, Zhang Y, Jin M, Zhang Z, Yuan M, Wang X, Zhou G. Modified Si nanowire/graphite-like carbon nitride core-shell photoanodes for solar water splitting. Electrochem commun 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.elecom.2017.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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