Surface modification by ligand growth strategy for dense copper bismuth film as photocathode to enhance hydrogen production activity

Abstract

Hydrogen production from photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has been regarded as a promising way to utilize renewable and endless solar energy. However, semiconductor film grown on photoelectrode suffers from numerous challenges, leading to the poor PEC performance. Herein, a straightforward sol-gel method with the ligand-induced growth strategy was employed to obtain dense and homogeneous copper bismuthate photocathodes for PEC hydrogen evolution reaction. By various characterizations, it was found that the nucleation and surface growth of CuBi₂O₄ layer induced by 2-methoxyethanol ligand (2-CuBi₂O₄) demonstrated a decent crystallinity and coverage, as well as a large grain size and a low oxygen vacancy concentration, leading to the good ability of light absorption and carrier migration. Consequently, under simulated sunlight irradiation (AM1.5G, 100 mW/cm²), the 2-CuBi₂O₄ photocathode achieved an enhanced photocurrent density of −1.34 mA·cm⁻² at 0.4 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode and a promising applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 0.586%. This surface modification by ligand growth strategy will shed light on the future design of advanced photoelectrodes for PEC water splitting.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

copper bismuthate / photocathode / ligand growth strategy / dense film / PEC

References

[1] Zhou P, Navid I A, Ma Y. . Solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of more than 9% in photocatalytic water splitting. Nature, 2023, 613(7942): 66–70

[2] Huang C, Zhou Q, Duan D. . The rapid self-reconstruction of Fe-modified Ni hydroxysulfide for efficient and stable large-current-density water/seawater oxidation. Energy & Environmental Science, 2022, 15(11): 4647–4658

[3] Song H, Luo S, Huang H. . Solar-driven hydrogen production: Recent advances, challenges, and future perspectives. ACS Energy Letters, 2022, 7(3): 1043–1065

[4] ZhouBSun S. Approaching the commercial threshold of solar water splitting toward hydrogen by III-nitrides nanowires. Frontiers in Energy, 2023, online, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-023-0870-z

[5] Guerra O J, Eichman J, Kurtz J. . Cost competitiveness of electrolytic hydrogen. Joule, 2019, 3(10): 2425–2443

[6] Terlouw T, Bauer C, McKenna R. . Large-scale hydrogen production via water electrolysis: A techno-economic and environmental assessment. Energy & Environmental Science, 2022, 15(9): 3583–3602

[7] Hosseini S E, Wahid M A. Hydrogen production from renewable and sustainable energy resources: Promising green energy carrier for clean development. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2016, 57: 850–866

[8] Zhou Q, Liao L, Zhou H. . Innovative strategies in design of transition metal-based catalysts for large-current-density alkaline water/seawater electrolysis. Materials Today Physics, 2022, 26: 100727

[9] Rashid R T, Chen Y, Liu X. . Tunable green syngas generation from CO₂ and H₂O with sunlight as the only energy input. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2022, 119(26): e2121174119

[10] Yu L, Wu L, McElhenny B. . Ultrafast room-temperature synthesis of porous S-doped Ni/Fe (oxy)hydroxide electrodes for oxygen evolution catalysis in seawater splitting. Energy & Environmental Science, 2020, 13(10): 3439–3446

[11] Zhou H, Zhang D, Gong X. . A dual-ligand strategy to regulate the nucleation and growth of lead chromate photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Advanced Materials, 2022, 34(29): 2110610

[12] Wang Z, Sheng B, Chen Y. . Photocatalytic syngas production from bio-derived glycerol and water on AuIn-decorated GaN nanowires supported by Si wafer. Green Chemistry, 2023, 25(1): 288–295

[13] Li H, Liu H, Wang F. . Hot electron assisted photoelectrochemical water splitting from Au-decorated ZnO@TiO₂ nanorods array. Nano Research, 2022, 15(7): 5824–5830

[14] Masoumi Z, Tayebi M, Kolaei M. . Efficient and stable core-shell α–Fe₂O₃/WS₂/WO_x photoanode for oxygen evolution reaction to enhance photoelectrochemical water splitting. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2022, 313: 121447

[15] Bagal I V, Jun S, Choi M. . Investigation of charge carrier dynamics in beaded ZnO nanowire decorated with SnS₂/IrO_x cocatalysts for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting. Applied Surface Science, 2023, 613: 156091

[16] Kong H, Yang H, Park J S. . Spatial control of oxygen vacancy concentration in monoclinic WO₃ photoanodes for enhanced solar water splitting. Advanced Functional Materials, 2022, 32(36): 2204106

[17] Li Y, Dai X, Bu Y. . Photoelectrochemical performance improving mechanism: Hybridization appearing at the energy band of BiVO₄ photoanode by doped quantum layers modification. Small, 2022, 18(21): 2200454

[18] Mary A S, Murugan C, Pandikumar A. Uplifting the charge carrier separation and migration in Co-doped CuBi₂O₄/TiO₂ p-n heterojunction photocathode for enhanced photoelectrocatalytic water splitting. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2022, 608: 2482–2492

[19] Shin D, Saparov B, Mitzi D B. Defect engineering in multinary earth-abundant chalcogenide photovoltaic materials. Advanced Energy Materials, 2017, 7(11): 1602366

[20] Malyi O I, Zunger A. False metals, real insulators, and degenerate gapped metals. Applied Physics Reviews, 2020, 7(4): 041310

[21] Li C, He J, Xiao Y. . Earth-abundant Cu-based metal oxide photocathodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Energy & Environmental Science, 2020, 13(10): 3269–3306

[22] Alizadeh A, Roudgar-Amoli M, Bonyad-Shekalgourabi S M. Dye sensitized solar cells go beyond using perovskite and spinel inorganic materials: A review. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2022, 157: 112047

[23] Wu T, Du Y, Dai L. . A direct Z-scheme AgBr/CuBi₂O₄ photocathode for ultrasensitive detection of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin by controlling the release of luminol in self-powered microfluidic photoelectrochemical aptasensors. Analytical Chemistry, 2022, 94(30): 10651–10658

[24] Reddy D A, Kim Y, Varma P. . Inverse opal CuBi₂O₄ photocathodes for robust photoelectrochemical water splitting. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2022, 5(5): 6050–6058

[25] Cao H, Zhang Z, Zhang M. . The effect of defects in tin-based perovskites and their photovoltaic devices. Materials Today Physics, 2021, 21: 100513

[26] Kang D, Hill J C, Park Y. . Photoelectrochemical properties and photostabilities of high surface area CuBi₂O₄ and Ag-doped CuBi₂O₄ photocathodes. Chemistry of Materials, 2016, 28(12): 4331–4340

[27] Oh W D, Lua S K, Dong Z. . Rational design of hierarchically-structured CuBi₂O₄ composites by deliberate manipulation of the nucleation and growth kinetics of CuBi₂O₄ for environmental applications. Nanoscale, 2016, 8(4): 2046–2054

[28] Shen X, Zhu Z, Zhang H. . Novel sphere-like copper bismuth oxide fabricated via ethylene glycol-introduced solvothermal method with improved adsorptive and photocatalytic performance in sulfamethazine removal. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 2022, 29(31): 47159–47173

[29] Xu Y, Jian J, Li F. . Porous CuBi₂O₄ photocathodes with rationally engineered morphology and composition towards high-efficiency photoelectrochemical performance. Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2019, 7(38): 21997–22004

[30] Wang Y, Hu J, Liu S. . Influence of grain size on photoelectrocatalytic performance of CuBi₂O₄ photocathodes. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2022, 47(89): 37774–37782

[31] Yang Y, He A, Yang M. . Selective electroreduction of CO₂ to ethanol over a highly stable catalyst derived from polyaniline/CuBi₂O₄. Catalysis Science & Technology, 2021, 11(17): 5908–5916

[32] Kim J H, Adishev A, Kim J. . All-bismuth-based oxide tandem cell for solar overall water splitting. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2018, 1(12): 6694–6699

[33] Jaiswal M K, Carrow J K, Gentry J L. . Vacancy-driven gelation using defect-rich nanoassemblies of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides and polymeric binder for biomedical applications. Advanced Materials, 2017, 29(36): 1702037

[34] Mohamed H S H, Rabia M, Zhou X G. . Phase-junction Ag/TiO₂ nanocomposite as photocathode for H₂ generation. Journal of Materials Science and Technology, 2021, 83: 179–187

[35] Seo G, Kim B, Hwang S W. . High-performance bulky crystalline copper bismuthate photocathode for enhanced solar water splitting. Nano Energy, 2021, 80: 105568

[36] Li M, Tian X, Zou X. . Promoting photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution activity of CuBi₂O₄ photocathode through ramping rate control. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2020, 45(30): 15121–15128

[37] Guo F, Shi W, Wang H. . Facile fabrication of a CoO/g-C₃N₄ p–n heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability for tetracycline degradation under visible light. Catalysis Science & Technology, 2017, 7(15): 3325–3331

[38] Li X, Yu J, Low J. . Engineering heterogeneous semiconductors for solar water splitting. Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2015, 3(6): 2485–2534

[39] Wan Z, Mao Q, Chen Q. Proton-dependent photocatalytic dehalogenation activities caused by oxygen vacancies of In₂O₃. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021, 403: 126389

[40] Lindberg A E, Wang W, Zhang S. . Can a PbCrO₄ photoanode perform as well as isoelectronic BiVO₄?. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2020, 3(9): 8658–8666

[41] Freysoldt C, Grabowski B, Hickel T. . First-principles calculations for point defects in solids. Reviews of Modern Physics, 2014, 86(1): 253–305

[42] Kedar L, Bond C E, Muirhead D. Carbon ordering in an aseismic shear zone: Implications for Raman geothermometry and strain tracking. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2020, 549: 116536

[43] Varanasi C, Petry J, Brunke L. . Growth of high-quality carbon nanotubes on free-standing diamond substrates. Carbon, 2010, 48(9): 2442–2446

[44] Pang Y X, Li X, Zhang X. . The synthesis of carbon-based quantum dots: A supercritical fluid approach and perspective. Materials Today Physics, 2022, 27: 100752

[45] Bourque A J, Rutledge G C. Heterogeneous nucleation of an n-alkane on graphene-like materials. European Polymer Journal, 2018, 104: 64–71

[46] Khaleghi A, Sadrameli S M, Manteghian M. Thermodynamic and kinetics investigation of homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation. Reviews in Inorganic Chemistry, 2020, 40(4): 167–192

[47] Wang F, Chemseddine A, Abdi F F. . Spray pyrolysis of CuBi₂O₄ photocathodes: improved solution chemistry for highly homogeneous thin films. Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2017, 5(25): 12838–12847

[48] Song A, Plate P, Chemseddine A. . Cu:NiO as a hole-selective back contact to improve the photoelectrochemical performance of CuBi₂O₄ thin film photocathodes. Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2019, 7(15): 9183–9194

[49] Kang D, Hill J C, Park Y. . Photoelectrochemical properties and photostabilities of high surface area CuBi₂O₄ and Ag-doped CuBi₂O₄ photocathodes. Chemistry of Materials, 2016, 28(12): 4331–4340

[50] Hahn N T, Holmberg V C, Korgel B A. . Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of p-CuBi₂O₄ thin film photocathodes. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2012, 116(10): 6459–6466

[51] Berglund S P, Abdi F F, Bogdanoff P. . Comprehensive evaluation of CuBi₂O₄ as a photocathode material for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Chemistry of Materials, 2016, 28(12): 4231–4242

[52] Li J, Griep M, Choi Y. . Photoelectrochemical overall water splitting with textured CuBi₂O₄ as a photocathode. Chemical Communications, 2018, 54(27): 3331–3334

[53] Choi Y H, Yang K D, Kim D H. . p-Type CuBi₂O₄ thin films prepared by flux-mediated one-pot solution process with improved structural and photoelectrochemical characteristics. Materials Letters, 2017, 188: 192–196

Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2022YFB3803600), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U20A20246), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2023 Higher Education Press 2023