Activating a Semiconductor-Liquid Junction via Laser-Derived Dual Interfacial Layers for Boosted Photoelectrochemical...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• The semiconductor-liquid junction (SCLJ) is crucial for photoelectrochemical (PEC) catalysis, impacting photoelectrode performance in hydrogen generation.
• Achieving both high activity and stability simultaneously at the SCLJ remains a significant challenge in PEC research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a novel dual interfacial layer configuration for BiVO4 photoanodes.
• To synchronously enhance photoelectrochemical activity and operational stability of BiVO4 photoanodes.

Main Methods:

• Grafting laser-generated carbon dots with phenolic hydroxyl groups (LGCDs-PHGs) to form dual interfacial layers.
• Fabrication of FeNiOOH-LGCDs-PHGs-MBVO photoanodes.
• Characterization of photocurrent density and operational stability.

Main Results:

• The dual interfacial layers effectively inhibited photocorrosion through uniform LGCDs with covalent anchoring.
• Enhanced charge separation and transfer kinetics were observed within each layer.
• Achieved a photocurrent density of 6.08 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 VRHE and operational stability up to 120 hours.

Conclusions:

• The unique dual interfacial layer configuration boosts both photoelectrochemical activity and stability of BiVO4 photoanodes.
• The strategy using LGCDs-PHGs offers a universal approach for improving semiconductor photoelectrode performance.
• Further exploration with catecholic molecules could broaden the applicability of this interfacial engineering strategy.