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Efficient rhodamine B degradation and stable electricity generation performance of visible-light photocatalytic fuel cell with g-C3N4/WO3/TiO2/Ti photoanode

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Abstract

The performance of photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) is mainly determined by photoanode. In order to reduce the recombination rate of electron–hole pairs and extend the light response wavelength, g-C3N4/WO3/TiO2/Ti photoanode was successfully fabricated by mixed sol–gel dipping method. Its maximum photocurrent density is 2.27 mA·cm−2 at 1.1 V (vs. SCE), which is 1.64 and 1.57 times that of WO3/TiO2/Ti and g-C3N4/TiO2/Ti, respectively. The maximum power density, short circuit current density, and RhB degradation efficiency of PFC with g-C3N4/WO3/TiO2/Ti-Cu photoanode and Cu cathode are 19.35 μW·cm−2, 0.20 mA·cm−2, and 87.7%, respectively. The excellent performance of PFC is mainly attributed to the fact that TiO2/Ti is co-doped with g-C3N4 and WO3, which greatly expands its light absorption range, strengthen its light absorption intensity, and improves its carrier mobility.

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Financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No.51876018) is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. School of Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, China

    Haoyang Yao, Yunlan Xu, Dengjie Zhong & Yundong Zeng

  2. School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, China

    Nianbing Zhong

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  1. Haoyang Yao
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Yao, H., Xu, Y., Zhong, D. et al. Efficient rhodamine B degradation and stable electricity generation performance of visible-light photocatalytic fuel cell with g-C3N4/WO3/TiO2/Ti photoanode. Ionics 27, 4875–4884 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-021-04205-8

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