Issue 3, 2017

Carbon quantum dots as a visible light sensitizer to significantly increase the solar water splitting performance of bismuth vanadate photoanodes

Abstract

Here, we demonstrate that carbon quantum dots (CQDs), as a low cost, chemically stable, and environmentally friendly photosensitizer, can dramatically broaden the light absorption range to the entire visible range. Consequently, the NiOOH/FeOOH/CQD/BiVO4 (NFCB) photoanode has achieved a remarkable photocurrent density of 5.99 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE under AM 1.5G in KH2PO4 aqueous solution without a hole scavenger (pH = 7) and a record high applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 2.29% at 0.6 V vs. RHE for BiVO4-based photoanodes. This novel NFCB photoanode could operate stably for 10 h with a Faraday efficiency of ∼95%, demonstrating the great potential of using CQDs for solar water splitting.

Graphical abstract: Carbon quantum dots as a visible light sensitizer to significantly increase the solar water splitting performance of bismuth vanadate photoanodes

Associated articles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 nov 2016
Accepted
06 jan 2017
First published
06 jan 2017

Energy Environ. Sci., 2017,10, 772-779

Carbon quantum dots as a visible light sensitizer to significantly increase the solar water splitting performance of bismuth vanadate photoanodes

K. Ye, Z. Wang, J. Gu, S. Xiao, Y. Yuan, Y. Zhu, Y. Zhang, W. Mai and S. Yang, Energy Environ. Sci., 2017, 10, 772 DOI: 10.1039/C6EE03442J

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