Issue 45, 2017

Engineering n–p junction for photo-electrochemical hydrogen production

Abstract

The generation of hydrogen from water and sunlight offers a promising approach for producing scalable and sustainable carbon free fuels. One of the challenges of solar-to-fuel technology is the design of efficient, long-lasting and low-cost photocathodes, which are responsible for absorbing sunlight and driving catalytic hydrogen evolution. We report on the protection of a Cu/Cu2O/CuO photoelectrode against photocorrosion by a 200–300 nm-thick BaTiO3 perovskite layer, deposited using the sol–gel method. This photoelectrode mediates H2 production with a current density of ∼3.1 mA cm−2 at 0 V versus RHE under 3 Sun irradiation and in a pH = 6 aqueous electrolyte. While the unprotected Cu/Cu2O/CuO photoelectrodes show a rapid decay of activity, the BaTiO3-protected photoelectrodes exhibit ∼10% current decay over 20 min.

Graphical abstract: Engineering n–p junction for photo-electrochemical hydrogen production

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 Jul 2017
Accepted
18 Oct 2017
First published
18 Oct 2017

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017,19, 30675-30682

Engineering n–p junction for photo-electrochemical hydrogen production

J. Toupin, H. Strub, S. Kressmann, M. Boudot, V. Artero and Ch. Laberty-Robert, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 30675 DOI: 10.1039/C7CP05122K

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