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Li-ion insertion coupled solar HER

  • Invited Paper: Sol-gel and hybrid materials for energy, environment and building applications
  • Published:
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Abstract

This paper studies how electrochemically inserting or extracting lithium ions in TiO2 can trigger and orient solar hydrogen evolution reaction. LixTiO2 is envisioned as a photo(electro)catalyst, whose rejuvenation can be achieved by in situ potential control. The investigations are conducted in a half-battery cell design where a mesoporous, anatase TiO2 thin film (negative electrode candidate) is deposited onto a transparent conducting oxide (FTO) substrate, water-in-salt (WiSE) is used as an electrolyte. Changing the state of charge of the working electrode material, will adjust the ratio between the Li-rich phase (Li0.5TiO2 blue) and the Li-poor phase (Li0.01TiO2 uncolored), which will tune the opto-electronic properties of the material, potentially changing the light-matter interaction. The impact of light on the interplay between hydrogen evolution reaction and lithium insertion/extraction in TiO2 is investigated using classical electrochemical characterizations inspired from both battery and photoelectrode communities. With a minimum of Li-rich phase solar hydrogen is produced at the working or at the counter electrode while lithium in photo-extracted of the Li-rich phase to reform TiO2.

Graphical Abstract

This paper deals with the interplay between hydrogen evolution reaction and lithium insertion/extraction in TiO2 under light. To investigate this behavior, mesoporous, crystalline TiO2 thin films, synthesized by the sol-gel chemistry, have been investigated as working electrodes of a Li-ion battery to control in situ its chemical composition by inserting Li+ to study the photo(electro)catalytical decomposition of water in WiSE.

Highlights

  • Triggering the HER via a control of potential.

  • Understanding the interplay between hydrogen evolution reaction and lithium insertion/extraction in TiO2 under light.

  • Li-rich phase is photo(electro)chemical active in the visible range.

  • Controlling in space, the localization of the HER.

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Data availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article [and its supplementary information files].

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Acknowledgements

JS thanks the ED397 from Sorbonne University for his Ph.D. grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, Sorbonne Université, UMR7574, 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France

    Jérémy Sum, Natacha Krins & Christel Laberty-Robert

  2. Réseau sur le Stockage Electrochimique de l’Energie, Amiens, France

    Jérémy Sum, Natacha Krins & Christel Laberty-Robert

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  1. Jérémy Sum
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  2. Natacha Krins
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The manuscript was written through contributions of all authors. All authors have given approval to the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Natacha Krins or Christel Laberty-Robert.

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Sum, J., Krins, N. & Laberty-Robert, C. Li-ion insertion coupled solar HER. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 107, 278–288 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06122-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06122-w

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