N-doped carbon dots as electrolytes to boost photoelectrochemical water oxidation for a photo-assisted zinc–air battery

Abstract

N-doped carbon dots (CDs) as electrolytes enhance BiVO₄ photoanode performance for water oxidation. This enhancement originates from the semiconductor nature of CDs that assemble with BiVO₄ into dynamic p–n heterojunctions for efficient charge separation. Integrated into a photo-assisted zinc–air battery, the system reduced the voltage gap under illumination, enabling stable cycling.