Microwave-assisted synthesis of bismuth vanadate and tungsten oxide nanostructures with application in photoelectrochemical water splitting

• Grant number: 17/26633-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: February 29, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Juliana dos Santos de Souza Silva
• Grantee: Bárbara Scola Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/00904-3 - In situ analysis of surface intermediates on (W)BiVO4/WO3 photoanodes using a combined scanning electrochemical microscopy approach, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future, thus, the development of devices capable of generating this specie is particularly interesting. Among the possible strategies to achieve this goal, the development of photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting, to obtain H2 an O2, using simulated sunlight as energy source has emerged. Semiconductors oxides have been largely employed to develop this kind of device, mainly those capable of absorb the visible component of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is the major portion of sunlight. Tungsten doped bismuth vanadate dope (W-BiVO4) is an extremely promisor material, due to its physical-chemical properties and low band-gap energy (~ 2.4 eV). Tungsten trioxide is also highly adequate, exhibiting band-gap energy of approximately 2.8 eV. However, these two materials exhibit properties that limits their applicability for photoelectrochemical water splitting.Thus, the present project aim the preparation of electrodes formed by the heterojunction of these two semiconductors oxides, resulting in a synergic effect that counterposes the disadvantages associated the individuals counterparts. Organized electrodes will be obtained, where the W-BiVO4 nanostructures will be homogeneously deposited over organized WO3 films, avoiding the formation of aggregates. In addition, the influence of the morphology and crystalline structure of the nanomaterials over the photoelectrocatalytic activity will be investigated. For this, several nanostructures will be synthesized by varying the reaction parameters in microwave-assisted synthesis, that allow to immensely accelerate the velocity of the process. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(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)

CLAUDINO, CAROLINE H.; KUZNETSOVA, MARIA; RODRIGUES, BARBARA S.; CHEN, CHANGQIANG; WANG, ZHIYU; SARDELA, MAURO; SOUZA, JULIANA S.. Facile one-pot microwave-assisted synthesis of tungsten-doped BiVO4/WO3 heterojunctions with enhanced photocatalytic activity. Materials Research Bulletin, v. 125, MAY 2020. (17/11395-7, 17/26633-0)

KUZNETSOVA, MARIA; OLIVEIRA, SIBILA A. A.; RODRIGUES, BARBARA S.; SOUZA, JULIANA S.. Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Bismuth Niobate/Tungsten Oxide Photoanodes for Water Splitting. TOPICS IN CATALYSIS, v. 64, n. 13-16, SI, p. 748-757, NOV 2021. (17/26633-0, 17/11395-7)

RODRIGUES, BARBARA SCOLA; BRANCO, CAROLYNE MARTINS; CORIO, PAOLA; SOUZA, JULIANA S.. Controlling Bismuth Vanadate Morphology and Crystalline Structure through Optimization of Microwave-Assisted Synthesis Conditions. Crystal Growth & Design, v. 20, n. 6, p. 3673-3685, JUN 3 2020. (16/21070-5, 17/11395-7, 17/26633-0, 19/26010-9)

KUZNETSOVA, MARIA; OLIVEIRA, SIBILA A. A.; RODRIGUES, BARBARA S.; SOUZA, JULIANA S.. Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Bismuth Niobate/Tungsten Oxide Photoanodes for Water Splitting. TOPICS IN CATALYSIS, JUL 2020. (17/26633-0, 17/11395-7)