High-performance and stable photoelectrochemical water splitting cell with organic-photoactive-layer-based photoanode

Je Min Yu, Jungho Lee, Yoon Seo Kim, Jaejung Song, Jiyeon Oh, Sang Myeon Lee, Mingyu Jeong, Yongseon Kim, Ja Hun Kwak, Seungho Cho (), Changduk Yang () and Ji-Wook Jang ()
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Je Min Yu: Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Jungho Lee: Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Yoon Seo Kim: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Jaejung Song: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Jiyeon Oh: Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Sang Myeon Lee: Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Mingyu Jeong: Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Yongseon Kim: Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Ja Hun Kwak: Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Seungho Cho: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Changduk Yang: Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Ji-Wook Jang: Department of Energy Engineering, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Considering their superior charge-transfer characteristics, easy tenability of energy levels, and low production cost, organic semiconductors are ideal for photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production. However, organic-semiconductor-based photoelectrodes have not been extensively explored for PEC water-splitting because of their low stability in water. Herein, we report high-performance and stable organic-semiconductors photoanodes consisting of p-type polymers and n-type non-fullerene materials, which is passivated using nickel foils, GaIn eutectic, and layered double hydroxides as model materials. We achieve a photocurrent density of 15.1 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) with an onset potential of 0.55 V vs. RHE and a record high half-cell solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 4.33% under AM 1.5 G solar simulated light. After conducting the stability test at 1.3 V vs. RHE for 10 h, 90% of the initial photocurrent density are retained, whereas the photoactive layer without passivation lost its activity within a few minutes.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19329-0

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