Ultrastable low-bias water splitting photoanodes via photocorrosion inhibition and in situ catalyst regeneration

Yongbo Kuang, Qingxin Jia, Guijun Ma, Takashi Hisatomi, Tsutomu Minegishi, Hiroshi Nishiyama, Mamiko Nakabayashi, Naoya Shibata, Taro Yamada, Akihiko Kudo and Kazunari Domen ()
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Yongbo Kuang: The University of Tokyo
Qingxin Jia: The University of Tokyo
Guijun Ma: The University of Tokyo
Takashi Hisatomi: The University of Tokyo
Tsutomu Minegishi: The University of Tokyo
Hiroshi Nishiyama: The University of Tokyo
Mamiko Nakabayashi: Japan Technological Research Association of Artificial Photosynthetic Chemical Process (ARPChem)
Naoya Shibata: Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo
Taro Yamada: The University of Tokyo
Akihiko Kudo: Japan Technological Research Association of Artificial Photosynthetic Chemical Process (ARPChem)
Kazunari Domen: The University of Tokyo

Nature Energy, 2017, vol. 2, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting offers a means for distributed solar hydrogen production. However, the lack of stable and cost-effective photoanodes remains a bottleneck that hampers their practical applications. Here we show that particulate Mo-doped BiVO4 water oxidation photoanodes, without costly and complex surface modifications, can possess comparable stability to that of solar cells. The photoanode exhibits enhanced intrinsic photocorrosion inhibition and self-generation and regeneration of oxygen evolution catalysts, which allows stable oxygen evolution for >1,000 h at potentials as low as 0.4 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode. The significantly improved photocorrosion resistance and charge separation are attributed to the unusual high-temperature treatment. In situ catalyst regeneration is found to be a site-specific and oxygen evolution rate change-induced process. Our findings indicate the potential of PEC water splitting to compete with other solar hydrogen production solutions, and should open new opportunities for the development of feasible PEC water splitting systems.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/nenergy.2016.191

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