Enhancing long-term photostability of BiVO4 photoanodes for solar water splitting by tuning electrolyte composition

Dong Ki Lee and Kyoung-Shin Choi ()
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Dong Ki Lee: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Kyoung-Shin Choi: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Nature Energy, 2018, vol. 3, issue 1, 53-60

Abstract: Abstract As the performance of photoelectrodes used for solar water splitting continues to improve, enhancing the long-term stability of the photoelectrodes becomes an increasingly crucial issue. In this study, we report that tuning the composition of the electrolyte can be used as a strategy to suppress photocorrosion during solar water splitting. Anodic photocorrosion of BiVO4 photoanodes involves the loss of V5+ from the BiVO4 lattice by dissolution. We demonstrate that the use of a V5+-saturated electrolyte, which inhibits the photooxidation-coupled dissolution of BiVO4, can serve as a simple yet effective method to suppress anodic photocorrosion of BiVO4. The V5+ species in the solution can also incorporate into the FeOOH/NiOOH oxygen-evolution catalyst layer present on the BiVO4 surface during water oxidation, further enhancing water-oxidation kinetics. The effect of the V5+ species in the electrolyte on both the long-term photostability of BiVO4 and the performance of the FeOOH/NiOOH oxygen-evolution catalyst layer is systematically elucidated.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41560-017-0057-0

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