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Cobalt Pyrophosphate Nanosheets Effectively Boost Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Efficiency of BiVO4 Photoanodes

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Abstract

Photoanodes are a critical part of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting technology that drives the conversion of solar energy to hydrogen, while bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is one of the most promising photoanode materials available. Here, we provide a simple spin-coating method to modify the PEC performance of BiVO4 by coating ultrathin cobalt pyrophosphate (Co2P2O7) nanosheets as a co-catalyst layer onto the surface of BiVO4. The Co2P2O7/BiVO4 composite photoanode achieved a photocurrent density of 3.93 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus RHE, which is 2.5 times higher than bare BiVO4 and considerably better than Co-Pi/BiVO4 and CoOx/BiVO4, with an improved charge injection efficiency of 71%. The key to the substantial enhancement of PEC performance is that Co2P2O7 nanosheets accelerate the charge transfer process all over the BiVO4 surface, not only as a water oxidation catalyst (OEC) layer accelerating the kinetic rate of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the junction with the water, but also suppressing the rate of photogenerated electron–hole recombination at the Co2P2O7/BiVO4 junction. A potential mechanism for the enhanced PEC performance of Co2P2O7 nanosheets is proposed, and this work provides assistance in the design of transition metal pyrophosphate, cobalt-based nanomaterial morphologies to enhance the PEC properties of BiVO4.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22278345) and the Key Scientific Research Fund of Hunan Provincial Education Department (21A0089).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, People’s Republic of China

    Xiang Wen, Guyu Zhou & Jikai Liu

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  1. Xiang Wen
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  2. Guyu Zhou
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  3. Jikai Liu
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Correspondence to Jikai Liu.

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Wen, X., Zhou, G. & Liu, J. Cobalt Pyrophosphate Nanosheets Effectively Boost Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Efficiency of BiVO4 Photoanodes. Catal Lett 154, 23–33 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-023-04293-3

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