A more accurate, reliable method to evaluate the photoelectrochemical performance of semiconductor electrode without under/over estimation

Photoelectrochemical performance of a spin coated TiO2 protected BiVO4-Cu2O thin film tandem cell for unassisted solar water splitting

A tandem cell consisting of a Mo-BiVO₄/TiO₂/FeOOH photoanode–Cu₂O/TiO₂/MoS₂ photocathode was prepared for unassisted solar water splitting. The protective TiO₂ layer was prepared by a cost-effective spin coating technique. The individual Mo-BiVO₄/TiO₂/FeOOH photoanode and the Cu₂O/TiO₂/MoS₂ photocathode yielded a current density of ∼0.81 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V vs. RHE and ∼−1.88 mA cm⁻² at 0 V vs. RHE, respectively under 100 mW cm⁻² xenon lamp illumination. From the individual photoelectrochemical analysis, we identify the operating points of the tandem cell as 0.66 V vs. RHE and 0.124 mA cm⁻². The positive current density from the operating points proves the possibility of non-zero operation of the tandem cell. Finally, a two-electrode Mo-BiVO₄/TiO₂/FeOOH-Cu₂O/TiO₂/MoS₂ tandem cell was constructed and analysed for unassisted operation. The obtained unassisted current density of the tandem cell was ∼65.3 μA cm⁻² with better stability compared to the bare BiVO₄-Cu₂O tandem cell. The results prove that the spin coated TiO₂ protective layer can be a viable approach to protect the photoelectrodes from photocorrosion with better stability and enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance.

Mo-BiVO₄/TiO₂/FeOOH photoanode–Cu₂O/TiO₂/MoS₂ photocathode tandem cells with photoelectrochemical stability testing.

Role of Interfacial Defects in Photoelectrochemical Properties of BiVO4 Coated on ZnO Nanodendrites: X-ray Spectroscopic and Microscopic Investigation

Synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopic and microscopic techniques are used to identify the origin of enhancement of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of BiVO₄ (BVO) that is coated on ZnO nanodendrites (hereafter referred to as BVO/ZnO). The atomic and electronic structures of core-shell BVO/ZnO nanodendrites have been well-characterized, and the heterojunction has been determined to favor the migration of charge carriers under the PEC condition. The variation of charge density between ZnO and BVO in core-shell BVO/ZnO nanodendrites with many unpaired O 2p-derived states at the interface forms interfacial oxygen defects and yields a band gap of approximately 2.6 eV in BVO/ZnO nanocomposites. Atomic structural distortions at the interface of BVO/ZnO nanodendrites, which support the fact that there are many interfacial oxygen defects, affect the O 2p-V 3d hybridization and reduce the crystal field energy 10Dq ∼2.1 eV. Such an interfacial atomic/electronic structure and band gap modulation increase the efficiency of absorption of solar light and electron-hole separation. This study provides evidence that the interfacial oxygen defects act as a trapping center and are critical for the charge transfer, retarding electron-hole recombination, and high absorption of visible light, which can result in favorable PEC properties of a nanostructured core-shell BVO/ZnO heterojunction. Insights into the local atomic and electronic structures of the BVO/ZnO heterojunction support the fabrication of semiconductor heterojunctions with optimal compositions and an optimal interface, which are sought to maximize solar light utilization and the transportation of charge carriers for PEC water splitting and related applications.

Yolk-shell nanostructures: synthesis, photocatalysis and interfacial charge dynamics

Solar energy has long been regarded as a promising alternative and sustainable energy source. In this regard, photocatalysts emerge as a versatile paradigm that can practically transform solar energy into chemical energy. At present, unsatisfactory conversion efficiency is a major obstacle to the widespread deployment of photocatalysis technology. Many structural engineering strategies have been proposed to address the issue of insufficient activity for semiconductor photocatalysts. Among them, creation of yolk-shell nanostructures which possess many beneficial features, such as large surface area, efficient light harvesting, homogeneous catalytic environment and enhanced molecular diffusion kinetics, has attracted particular attention. This review summarizes the developments that have been made for the preparation and photocatalytic applications of yolk-shell nanostructures. Additional focus is placed on the realization of interfacial charge dynamics and the possibility of achieving spatial separation of charge carriers for this unique nanoarchitecture as charge transfer is the most critical factor determining the overall photocatalytic efficiency. A future perspective that can facilitate the advancement of using yolk-shell nanostructures in sophisticated photocatalytic systems is also presented.

Factors influencing the adsorption and photocatalysis of direct red 80 in the presence of a TiO2: Equilibrium and kinetics modeling

Among the different photocatalysts, TiO2 ( Eg = 3.1 eV, zero charge point (pHpzc = 6.3), and surface = 55 m2/g) is currently the most efficient and the most studied semiconductor due to its strong photocatalytic activity, non-toxicity, and chemical stability. The elimination of DR-80 on TiO2 is studied by adsorption in batch mode and by application of heterogeneous photocatalysis onto TiO2 under UV irradiation. The effects of contact time (0–60 min), initial pH (3–11), dose of the adsorbent (0.5–3 g L−1), and DR-80 concentration (40–60 mg L−1) on the adsorption of DR-80 by TiO2 are studied for optimization of these parameters. The kinetic parameters, rate constants, and equilibrium adsorption capacities are calculated and discussed for each applied theoretical model. The adsorption of DR-80 is well described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The fitting of the adsorption isotherms shows that the models of Langmuir and Temkin offering a better fit and an adsorption 64.102 mg/g at 25 °C of DR-80 are eliminated. The results showed that the photocatalytic efficiency strongly depends on the pH while the initial rate of photodegradation is proportional to the catalyst dose, and becomes almost constant above a threshold value. It was found that the photodegradation is favored at low DR-80 concentrations in accordance with the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model with the constants Kad = 6.5274 L/mg and KL–H = 0.17818 mg L−1 min. However, the adsorption is improved for high DR-80 concentrations. It is found that the degradation depends on both the temperature and the pH with a high elimination rate at high temperature. The photocatalyst TiO2 has a better activity for the degradation of DR-80, compared to some commercial catalysts that have been described in the literature.

Au-Mediated Charge Transfer Process of Ternary Cu2O/Au/TiO2-NAs Nanoheterostructures for Improved Photoelectrochemical Performance

Based on a facile three-step preparation method, Cu2O/Au/TiO2-NAs ternary heterojunction nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized by electrodepositing a Cu2O layer on the surface of Au nanoparticles (NPs) decorated highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays (NAs). The structure, surface morphology, chemical composition, and optical and intrinsic defects properties of the as-prepared samples are characterized by transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis light absorbance spectra, Raman scattering, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Simultaneously, the Cu2O/Au/TiO2-NAs ternary nanohybrids exhibited progressively improved photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) performance compared with the dual Cu2O/TiO2-NAs type-II nanoheterojunctions, confirming by the photocurrent density versus testing time curve (amperometric I-t curve), open-circuit potential versus testing time curve (V oc-t curve), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements, which were mainly ascribed to the synergistic effect of reduced interfacial charge transfer resistance and boosted energetic charge carriers generation associated with embedding Au NPs. Furthermore, the self-consistent charge transfer mechanism of Z-scheme and interband transitions mediated with Au NPs for Cu2O/Au/TiO2-NAs triple nanocomposites is proposed, which was evaluated by nanosecond time-resolved transient photoluminescence (NTRT-PL) spectra excited by 266 and 400 nm, respectively. Following this scheme, UV-vis light photocatalytic activities of Cu2O/Au/TiO2-NAs ternary nanohybrids were elaborated toward photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution, and the photodegradation rate of optimum triple nanocomplex was found to be 90%.

Synthesis and photocatalytic degradation activities of phosphorus containing ZnO microparticles under visible light irradiation for water treatment applications

A series of phosphorus containing ZnO (P-ZnO) photocatalysts with various percentages of phosphorus were successfully synthesized using the hydrothermal method. The structural, physical and optical properties of the obtained microparticles were investigated using diverse techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible diffusion reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and N₂ adsorption-desorption analysis. The photocatalytic activities of the pure and P-ZnO samples were evaluated for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. The parameters such as pH, catalyst dosage, contaminant concentration and effect of persulfate as an oxidant were studied. It was found that the P-ZnO1.8% photocatalyst could destroy 99% of RhB (5 ppm) in 180 min at pH = 7; furthermore, it degraded ∼100% of 5 and 10 ppm of the RhB pollutant in 120 and 180 min, respectively, only by adding 0.01 g of persulfate into the reaction solution. To determine the photocatalytic mechanism, 2-propanol, benzoquinone and EDTA were used and it was indicated that hydroxyl radicals, superoxide ions and holes, all had major roles in the photocatalytic degradation but the hydroxyl radical effect was the most significant. The phenol degradation was also investigated using the P-ZnO1.8% optimum photocatalyst which could destroy 53% of the phenol (5 ppm) in 180 min. According to the reusability test, it was proved that after 5 cycles, the catalyst activity was not highly changed and it was potentially capable of pollutant degradation.

Effect of polyethylene glycol on crystal growth and photocatalytic activity of anatase TiO2 single crystals

In order to evaluate the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the growth of TiO₂ crystals, anatase TiO₂ crystals with different morphologies and structures were synthesized by controlling the content and type of PEG in a solvothermal system. Then, their morphology and structure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Characterization results show that hydrofluoric acid can promote the formation of high activity (001) facets. Experiments on the effect of PEG on crystal growth show that the low molecular weight PEG (PEG400) can accelerate crystal differentiation and relieve the agglomeration of crystals in the presence of hydrofluoric acid. Besides, according to the experimental results, we found that PEG400 can reduce the agglomeration size and number of TiO₂ polycrystalline particles. Research on the photocatalytic activity proposed that the independence of single crystal and the integrity of (001) facets are the critical factors in advanced oxidation reaction. The resultant anatase TiO₂ single crystals could produce more hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) in the photocatalytic system, which exhibited remarkable photocatalytic performance for the degradation of Acid Red B.

Anatase TiO₂ crystals with different structures were synthesized. Experiments on the effect of polyethylene glycol show that the low molecular weight PEG (PEG400) can accelerate crystal differentiation and relieve the agglomeration of crystals.

Effect of heat treatment under vacuum on structure and visible-light photocatalytic activity of nano-TiO2

Nano-TiO₂ is known as a photocatalyst with high catalytic activity. However, it should be emphasized that the bandgap of nano-TiO₂ is wide, which limits its photocatalytic efficiency in response to visible light and thus hinders its potential application. Improving the photocatalytic activity of nano-TiO₂ under visible light by the strategy of heat treatment under vacuum was investigated in this study. The structure and photocatalytic activity of nano-TiO₂ before and after heat treatment under vacuum were compared and analyzed by XRD, TEM, HRTEM, XPS and UV-Vis-NIR, respectively. The results show that oxygen vacancies were introduced into the crystal structure of nano-TiO₂ to change its inherent energy band structure. Particularly, the samples after heat treatment under vacuum exhibited high photocatalytic activity under visible light. In addition, the formation mechanism of non-stoichiometric compound TiO_2−x and the mechanism of oxygen vacancy defects to expand the wavelength of light that nano-TiO₂ absorbs to the visible portion of the spectrum have also been addressed in this paper.

Nano-TiO₂ is known as a photocatalyst with high catalytic activity.