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Hole-Storage Enhanced a-Si Photocathodes for Efficient Hydrogen Production
Doudou Zhang1,2,3, Minyong Du1, Pengpeng Wang1
1State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian, 116023, China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|February 16, 2021
Summary
Ferrihydrite interfacial layers enable efficient photocathodes for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This study demonstrates high photocurrent density and stability in amorphous silicon-based devices, showcasing a new approach for HER photocathode construction.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Ferrihydrite (Fh) is known for enhancing photoanode performance in water oxidation due to its hole-storage capacity.
- The application of Fh as a hole-storage layer in photocathodes for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remains unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of ferrihydrite interfacial engineering in constructing efficient photocathodes for HER.
- To evaluate the photoelectrochemical performance and stability of amorphous silicon-based photocathodes modified with ferrihydrite.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of amorphous silicon (a-Si) photocathodes with nickel (Ni) as the HER cocatalyst.
- Modification of the a-Si photocathode surface with a ferrihydrite (Fh) interfacial layer.
- Characterization of photoelectrochemical performance, including photocurrent density, energy conversion efficiency, and Faradaic efficiency in alkaline solution.
Main Results:
- Achieved a photocurrent density of 15.6 mA cm⁻² at 0 V vs. RHE and a half-cell energy conversion efficiency of 4.08% in alkaline solution.
- Demonstrated superior performance compared to most reported a-Si based photocathodes, including those with noble metal cocatalysts.
- Maintained a photocurrent density above 14 mA cm⁻² for 175 minutes with 100% Faradaic efficiency for HER.
Conclusions:
- Ferrihydrite serves as an effective hole-storage layer for constructing highly efficient photocathodes for HER.
- This interfacial engineering approach offers a promising strategy for developing advanced a-Si based photocathode devices.
- The findings open new avenues for utilizing ferrihydrite in photoelectrochemical applications beyond water oxidation.
