Self-reducing Bi in BiVO₄ Photoanode Enhancing Photochemical Water Splitting Performance

Abstract

Due to the low carrier mobility and surface trap states, the performance of bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) photoanodes in solar-driven water splitting is significantly lower than theoretical predictions. In this study, a Bi-rich/BiVO₄ Schottky junction (hereafter referred to as BVO/Bi) was fabricated via a self-reduction method. This approach not only enhances the transfer of photogenerated charges to the photocathode but also effectively passivates the electron-hole recombination centers on the photoanode surface. Under Air Mass 1.5 Global (AM1.5G) simulated solar illumination, the photocurrent density of BVO/Bi at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) reached 2.6 mA/cm², approximately twice that of pristine BiVO₄ (1.3 mA/cm²). Furthermore, after incorporating nickel iron oxide (NiFeOOH) as a co-catalyst, the hydrogen production efficiency of BVO/Bi increased to 83.4 µmol·h⁻¹·cm⁻². This work highlights that simple self-reduction can effectively modulate the surface characteristics and charge transfer kinetics of BiVO₄ photoanodes, offering a promising strategy for advancing more cost-effective and efficient solar water splitting technologies.

Keywords

Photoelectrocatalysis / BiVO₄ / Hydrogen evolution reaction

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Jilin University, The Editorial Department of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities and Springer-Verlag GmbH