Issue 6, 2020

Tunable surface modification of a hematite photoanode by a Co(salen)-based cocatalyst for boosting photoelectrochemical performance

Abstract

In this work, a water splitting photoanode composed of hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanorods was modified with a Co(salen)-based cocatalyst, which was proven to exhibit special photoelectrochemical (PEC) oxygen evolution activity. Co(salen) was deposited on the surface of the α-Fe2O3 photoanode as a precursor of the cocatalyst and then heat-treated at different temperatures. When the annealing temperature is 250 °C, Co(salen) transforms into Co3+ species stabilized with C–N ligands, which act as active sites and decrease the OER energy barrier for the photoelectrochemical process of the α-Fe2O3 photoanode. Meanwhile, the interaction between Co–C–N and Fe (Co–C–N⋯Fe) via van der Waals force can provide a photocarrier transfer pathway to achieve a 1.7 fold higher photocurrent at 1.23 V vs. RHE and 180 mV onset potential negative shift compared to those of the pure α-Fe2O3 photoanode. This work demonstrates a unique surface structure of a cocatalyst created by a post synthetic strategy using a metal complex precursor containing organic ligands.

Graphical abstract: Tunable surface modification of a hematite photoanode by a Co(salen)-based cocatalyst for boosting photoelectrochemical performance

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 dec 2019
Accepted
05 feb 2020
First published
05 feb 2020

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2020,10, 1714-1723

Tunable surface modification of a hematite photoanode by a Co(salen)-based cocatalyst for boosting photoelectrochemical performance

R. Wang, Y. Kuwahara, K. Mori, Y. Bu and H. Yamashita, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2020, 10, 1714 DOI: 10.1039/C9CY02481F

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