Boosting BiVO₄ Photoanode Performance via Organic-Inorganic Cocatalyst Synergy for Efficient Water Splitting

Abstract

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) emerges as a promising photoanode material due to its suitable bandgap, excellent visible light absorption, and chemical stability. However, defect states on the BiVO4 surface inhibit performance enhancement. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes loading 3,4-thienedicarboxylic acid (TDA) and nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) as cocatalysts onto BiVO4, leveraging synergistic interactions between organic small molecules and inorganic materials to boost water oxidation reaction efficiency. The study demonstrates that the BiVO4/TDA/NiFe2O4 photoanode, fabricated via immersion self-assembly and spin-coating, achieves a photocurrent density of 6.5 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE under AM 1.5 G irradiation—5.3 times higher than pure BiVO4. This research provides new insights into enhancing photocatalytic performance by modifying BiVO4 with small molecules.