Enhanced solar hydrogen production via reconfigured semi-polar facet/cocatalyst heterointerfaces in GaN/Si photocathodes

Wei Chen, Danhao Wang, Weiyi Wang, Xin Liu, Yuying Liu, Chao Wang, Yang Kang, Shi Fang, Xudong Yang, Wengang Gu, Dongyang Luo, Yuanmin Luo, Zongtao Qu, Chengjie Zuo, Yi Kang, Lin Cheng, Wensheng Yan, Wei Hu, Ran Long, Jr-Hau He, Kang Liang, Sheng Liu, Yujie Xiong and Haiding Sun ()
Additional contact information
Wei Chen: University of Science and Technology of China
Danhao Wang: University of Science and Technology of China
Weiyi Wang: University of Science and Technology of China
Xin Liu: University of Science and Technology of China
Yuying Liu: University of Science and Technology of China
Chao Wang: University of Science and Technology of China
Yang Kang: University of Science and Technology of China
Shi Fang: University of Science and Technology of China
Xudong Yang: University of Science and Technology of China
Wengang Gu: University of Science and Technology of China
Dongyang Luo: University of Science and Technology of China
Yuanmin Luo: University of Science and Technology of China
Zongtao Qu: Solarever Tecnología de América S.A. de C.V
Chengjie Zuo: University of Science and Technology of China
Yi Kang: University of Science and Technology of China
Lin Cheng: University of Science and Technology of China
Wensheng Yan: University of Science and Technology of China
Wei Hu: University of Science and Technology of China
Ran Long: University of Science and Technology of China
Jr-Hau He: City University of Hong Kong
Kang Liang: Wuhan University
Sheng Liu: Wuhan University
Yujie Xiong: University of Science and Technology of China
Haiding Sun: University of Science and Technology of China

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract The development of an efficient and durable photoelectrode is critical for achieving large-scale applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here, we report a unique photoelectrode composed of reconfigured gallium nitride nanowire-on-silicon wafer loaded with Au nanoparticles as cocatalyst that achieved an impressive applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 10.36% under AM 1.5G one sun illumination while exhibiting stable PEC hydrogen evolution over 800 h at a high current density. Specifically, by tailoring the GaN nanowires via a simple alkaline-etching step to expose the inner (10 $$\bar{1}\bar{1}$$ 1 ¯ 1 ¯ ) facets, we achieve a highly coupled semiconductor nanowire-cocatalyst heterointerface with strong electron interaction. The strongly coupled reconfigured GaN nanowire/Au heterointerface not only optimizes the electronic structure of Au nanoparticles to form abundant highly active interfacial regions, eventually realizing superior hydrogen evolution activity but also enables GaN nanowires to provide a stronger anchoring effect for Au nanoparticles, preventing the detachment of Au nanoparticles during the intense hydrogen evolution process. The proposed photoelectrode offers a feasible structure for overcoming the efficiency-reliability bottleneck of PEC devices for producing clean hydrogen fuel.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55743-4

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