Development of multi-hierarchic electrodes based on Au-BiVO¬4 and ZnO for photoelectrochemical water splitting

• Grant number: 17/12688-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: December 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Paola Corio
• Grantee: Fernando Takashi Harada Hirata
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future, for this reason, the development of devices capable of generating these species is especially interesting. Among the possible routes to achieve this goal, the development of photoanodes for the photoelectrochemical water splitting, generating H2 and O2, using sunlight as energy source has gained importance. Semiconductors metal oxides are promising systems to produce these electrodes. In this context the project proposes the preparation of photoanodes based on vertically aligned zinc oxide nanorods films (ZnONRs) and Au decorated BiVO4 nanostructures (Au-BiVO4). This architecture has the function of homogenously disperse the Au-BiVO4 nanostructures. Furthermore, the BiVO4/ZnO heterojunction should decrease the recombination rate of photogenerated electron and holes. BiVO4 has the function of absorb the visible radiation of the sun (major portion), this feature will be enhanced by the plasmon effect caused by the incorporation of Au nanoparticles. The Au-BiVO4 structures will be synthesized by microwave -assisted reflux and will be incorporated to the ZnONRs films through different techniques. These electrodes will be characterized using spectrocopic and microscopic methods and then aplied on photoelectrochemical water splitting. The execution of this project will be carried out in a close collaboration with Profa. Dra. Juliana dos Santos de Souza from CCNH - UFABC, that has been previously developed a project involving the Au-BiVO4 system with the undergrad student Fernando T. H. Hirata. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SOUZA, JULIANA S.; HIRATA, FERNANDO T. H.; CORIO, PAOLA. Microwave-assisted synthesis of bismuth vanadate nanoflowers decorated with gold nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic activity. JOURNAL OF NANOPARTICLE RESEARCH, v. 21, n. 2, FEB 10 2019. (16/01020-3, 16/21070-5, 17/12688-8, 17/11395-7)