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Organic Photocathode Supported by Copper Nanosheets Array for Overall Water Splitting
Rui Zhang1, Xingjun Sun1, Lingcheng Zheng2
1Department of Electronic Science and Engineering & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Process Control, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, P. R. China.
Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|December 3, 2021
Summary
This study enhances organic photocathodes for solar water splitting using a copper nanosheet array framework. This boosts photocurrent and onset potential, enabling efficient, spontaneous water splitting for clean energy.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Z-scheme solar water splitting mimics natural photosynthesis for energy conversion.
- Organic semiconductors show promise as photocathodes but suffer from low photocurrent and poor carrier separation.
- Existing organic photocathodes have limited efficiency due to weak light absorption and charge recombination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To improve the performance of organic photocathodes for Z-scheme overall solar water splitting.
- To address limitations of weak light absorption and difficult carrier separation in organic photocathodes.
- To develop a novel framework for enhancing photocurrent density and onset potential.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a copper nanosheets array (Cu NSA) framework integrated with organic semiconductor layers.
- Utilizing poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid (P3HT:PCBM) as the organic photocathode material.
- Characterization of photocathode performance, including photocurrent density and onset potential measurements.
- Assembly of a tandem device by connecting the optimized photocathode with a titanium dioxide nanorods array photoanode.
Main Results:
- The Cu NSA framework significantly enhanced light absorption and carrier separation in P3HT:PCBM photocathodes.
- Onset potential increased by 50 mV to 0.65 V vs. RHE, and photocurrent density reached -1 mA cm⁻² at 0 V vs. RHE (18-fold increase).
- The tandem device achieved spontaneous overall water splitting with a photocurrent density of 110 μA cm⁻² and a solar-to-fuel efficiency of 0.14% without external bias or co-catalyst.
Conclusions:
- The integration of a Cu NSA framework is a viable strategy for optimizing organic photocathode performance.
- Enhanced light harvesting and charge dynamics contribute to significantly improved solar water splitting efficiency.
- This work presents a promising approach for developing efficient and stable organic-based photoelectrochemical systems for renewable fuel production.
