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Published on: May 2, 2014
Gradient Surface Gallium-Doped Hematite Photoelectrode for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation
Zeyuan Wang1, Linxiao Wu1, Jinshui Cheng1
1Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials and Cells, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Efficient Solar Energy Utilization, Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Thin Film Photoelectronic Technology, Nankai University, 300350 Tianjin, China.
Abstract:
Hematite is a promising material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation, but its photocurrent is limited by bulk charge recombination and poor oxidation kinetics. In this study, we report a high-performance Fe2O3 photoanode achieved through gradient surface gallium doping, utilizing a Ga2O3 overlayer on FeOOH precursors via atomic layer deposition (ALD) and co-annealing for Ga diffusion. The Ga-doped layer passivates surface states and modifies the band structure, creating a built-in electric field that enhances the charge separation efficiency. Following the electrodeposition of CoFeO as a cocatalyst, the resulting CoFe-Ga:Fe2O3 photoanode exhibited a notable negative shift in onset potential by approximately 100 mV, a high photocurrent density of 2.6 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V versus RHE, and excellent long-term PEC stability over 40 h. This work presents an effective strategy for enhancing the PEC performance of photoelectrodes through advanced surface coatings.
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