BiVO4/Bi4V2O10 isometallic heterojunction coupled with FeOOH/NiOOH cocatalysts for efficient photoelectrochemical water oxidation

Guozhen Fang, Xiaowen Ruan*, Depeng Meng, Minghua Xu, Chunsheng Ding, Chengxiang Huang, Yu Qiu, Shengli Zhao, Kaikai Ba, Tengfeng Xie, Yong Zhou, Haiyan Zhang, Wei Zhang, Shengye Jin, Jing Leng*, Sai Kishore Ravi*, Xiaoqiang Cui*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

Abstract

The four-electron water oxidation reaction in photoelectrochemical systems poses a major challenge to efficiently converting solar energy into chemical energy amid the global energy crisis. Herein, we report a strategy to develop a photoelectrochemical system using BiVO4/Bi4V2O10 isometallic heterojunction photoanodes paired with FeOOH/NiOOH cocatalysts to enhance water oxidation in neutral electrolytes. The results demonstrate that the BiVO4/Bi4V2O10/FeOOH/NiOOH photoanode achieves a photocurrent density of 4.48 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode and an applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 1.69 % at 0.63 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode—significantly outperforming bare BiVO4. This enhanced photoelectrochemical performance is attributed to the identical elemental composition and well-aligned energy band positions of Bi4V2O10 and BiVO4, which minimize charge recombination at the interface. Additionally, the FeOOH/NiOOH double-layer cocatalyst facilitates rapid transfer of photogenerated carriers, as confirmed by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and transient photovoltage measurements. This approach provides a novel and effective pathway for advancing high-efficiency photoelectrochemical cells. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)766-774
JournalJournal of Colloid and Interface Science
Volume688
Online published26 Feb 2025
DOIs
Publication statusOnline published - 26 Feb 2025

Funding

This study was supported by the City University of Hong Kong (CityU 9610577), the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (RGC CityU 9048263, RGC 9043739), the Research Matching Grant Scheme (RMGS 9229178), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12034002, 22279044).

Research Keywords

  • Bi4V2O10
  • BiVO4
  • Carrier dynamics
  • Isometallic heterojunction
  • Photoelectrochemical water oxidation

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