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Semiconducting properties of CuBi2O4 prepared at low temperature: application to oxygen evolution under visible light

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Abstract

The spinel CuBi2O4 was synthesized by a facile step using the co-precipitation at low temperature (140 °C) for the first time. The physical properties of the synthesized oxide such as functionality, morphology and optic were characterized by the FT-IR, XRD and UV–Visible analysis. The diffuse reflectance gives a direct optical gap of 1.77 eV, a further indirect transition was also determined. The conduction mechanism is assigned to the low polaron lattice and curiously, CuBi2O4 acts as n-type semiconductor unlike other spinels. The potentials of the electronic bands are determined by photo-electrochemistry, which predicts the interfacial reactions on the spinel. A flat band potential of 0.38 VSCE was determined from the capacitance measurement in Na2SO4 (0.1 M) medium. According to the capacitance measurement, the valence band (1.95 VSCE) is more anodic than the O2/H2O level (∼ 0.65 VSCE) at pH ~ 7. Therefore, oxygen is spontaneously evolved on the junction spinel/Na2SO4 electrolyte under visible light, due to the low O2 overvoltage. A quantum conversion efficiency of 5% is obtained within 14 min under visible light (6.28 × 1016 photons s−1), with an average rate O2 evolution of 75 µmol g−1 min−1.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Amar Manseri for his technical assistance in the SEM analysis.

Funding

This study was funded by the Faculty of Chemistry Grant N° B00L01UN160420190020 (USTHB; Algiers).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Electrochemistry-Corrosion, Metallurgy and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, (USTHB), BP 32, 16111, Algiers, Algeria

    A. M. Djaballah & R. Bagtache

  2. Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Gas, Faculty of Chemistry (USTHB), BP 32, 16111, Algiers, Algeria

    M. Benlambarek

  3. Laboratory of Storage and Valorisation of Renewable Energies, Faculty of Chemistry, (USTHB), BP 32, 16111, Algiers, Algeria

    M. Trari

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  1. A. M. Djaballah
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Correspondence to M. Trari.

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Djaballah, A.M., Bagtache, R., Benlambarek, M. et al. Semiconducting properties of CuBi2O4 prepared at low temperature: application to oxygen evolution under visible light. Reac Kinet Mech Cat 135, 2769–2781 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11144-022-02260-4

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