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Nanostructured WO₃/BiVO₄ heterojunction films for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting
Jinzhan Su1, Liejin Guo, Ningzhong Bao
1State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, China.
Abstract:
We report on a novel heterojunction WO(3)/BiVO(4) photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting. The heterojunction films are prepared by solvothermal deposition of a WO(3) nanorod-array film onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass, with subsequent deposition of a low bandgap, 2.4 eV, visible light responding BiVO(4) layer by spin-coating. The heterojunction structure offers enhanced photoconversion efficiency and increased photocorrosion stability. Compared to planar WO(3)/BiVO(4) heterojunction films, the nanorod-array films show significantly improved photoelectrochemical properties due, we believe, to the high surface area and improved separation of the photogenerated charge at the WO(3)/BiVO(4) interface. Synthesis details are discussed, with film morphologies and structures characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.
