Boosting the Photocurrent of the WO3/BiVO4 Heterojunction by Photoelectrodeposition of the Oxy-Hydroxide-Phosphates Based on Co, Fe, or Ni

Author(s)

Dyovani Coelho ^[1] ; João Pedro R. S. Gaudêncio ^[2] ; Lucia H. Mascaro ^[3]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar). Laboratório de Materiais Nanoestruturados Fabricados Eletroquimicamente. Departamento de Química - Brasil

^[2] Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar). Laboratório de Materiais Nanoestruturados Fabricados Eletroquimicamente. Departamento de Química - Brasil

^[3] Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar). Laboratório de Materiais Nanoestruturados Fabricados Eletroquimicamente. Departamento de Química - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society; v. 33, n. 7, p. 743-752, 2022-06-17.

Abstract

Here we investigated the photoelectrodeposition of oxygen-evolving catalysts (OECs) based on oxy-hydroxides-phosphates of Co, Fe, or Ni (CoPi, FePi, and NiPi) on the WO3/BiVO4 heterojunction and their activity in water oxidation. The OECs were deposited by cycles of (i) open-circuit potential (OCP) and (ii) applying a potential positive enough to oxidize the metallic precursor on the WO3/BiVO4. The crystalline and optical properties of the photoanodes were not significantly affected by the OECs deposition. However, there was a remarkable increase in the photocurrent densities (jpc) to water oxidation, where the modification with FePi showed the best result, achieving 2.12 mA cm-2, which corresponds to 2.83 times higher than the heterojunction without the OECs. Furthermore, the OECs deposition changed the morphology of the heterojunction with the deposition of a thin film on its surface. In addition, during the FePi deposition, the BiVO4 layer seems to partially dissolve. Our study shows a facile methodology to boost the activity of photoanodes to the water oxidation by photoelectrodeposition of OECs. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/07296-2 - CDMF - Center for the Development of Functional Materials
• Grantee: Elson Longo da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC
• FAPESP's process: 21/08614-4 - Electrodeposition of transition metal sulfides and phosphides on 3D electrodes for water splitting
• Grantee: Dyovani Coelho
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 17/11986-5 - Generation and storage of New Energy: bringing technological development for the country
• Grantee: Ana Flávia Nogueira
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Centers in Engineering Program