Construction of Bi2S3/BiVO4/TNbO photoanode with energy band and interface engineering for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

Yuxi Ma, Meng Chen, Dongmei Qin, Weiye Zhang, Fengyong Lv and Zhenbiao Dong

Renewable Energy, 2025, vol. 250, issue C

Abstract: Rational design nano-photoanodes with favorable optical absorption and charge separation-transfer played an important role in enhancing photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting for boosted solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion. As for the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) dynamics, we constructed a ternary Ti-based composite photoanode (BS/BVO/TNbO) with effective carrier management toward efficient photoelectrochemical water oxidation. Microstructure analysis demonstrated that the positive shift of valence-conduction band through Nb-doping made the energy band well-matched with BiVO4 and Bi2S3. Sequential loading of BiVO4 and Bi2S3 substantially extended the absorption edge from 382 to 550 nm. Meanwhile, the optimized hetero-interface enabled photogenerated electrons gathered in Nb-doped TiO2 (TNbO) nanotubes and the holes transferred to Bi2S3 effectively. Bulk-phase Nb-doping promoted fast carrier transport within and across TNbO photoanodes, coupling BiVO4 and Bi2S3 further accelerated charge separation-transfer process. BS/BVO/TNbO photoanodes showed excellent charge separation efficiency (ηsep) of 38 %, which was much higher than pristine TiO2 (29 %). PEC measurements illustrated that the yielding photocurrent was favorably improved to 3.4 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs RHE, and STH efficiency (1.53 %) was 7.3 times that of pristine system. This work involved energy band and interface engineering of ternary Ti-based photoanode, which may contribute to designing high-efficiency photoanodes with effective carrier management in driving solar water splitting.

Keywords: Ti-based photoanodes; Energy band modulation; Interface engineering; Carrier management; PEC water oxidation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:250:y:2025:i:c:s096014812500967x

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.123305

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