Unraveling Charge Transfer in CoFe Prussian Blue Modified BiVO4 Photoanodes

Catalyst modification of metal oxide photoanodes can result in markedly improved water oxidation efficiency. However, the reasons for improvement are often subtle and controversial. Upon depositing a CoFe Prussian blue (CoFe-PB) water oxidation catalyst on BiVO4, a large photocurrent increase and on...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Moss, Benjamin, Hegner, Franziska Simone, Corby, Sacha, Selim, Shababa, Franca, Laia, López, Núria, Giménez, Sixto, Galán-Mascarós, José-Ramón, Durrant, James Robert
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2072/359790
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/2072/359790
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.8b02225
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:54
Descripción
Sumario:Catalyst modification of metal oxide photoanodes can result in markedly improved water oxidation efficiency. However, the reasons for improvement are often subtle and controversial. Upon depositing a CoFe Prussian blue (CoFe-PB) water oxidation catalyst on BiVO4, a large photocurrent increase and onset potential shift (up to 0.8 V) are observed, resulting in a substantially more efficient system with high stability. To elucidate the origin of this enhancement, we used time-resolved spectroscopies to compare the dynamics of photogenerated holes in modified and unmodified BiVO4 films. Even in the absence of strong positive bias, a fast (pre-ms), largely irreversible hole transfer from BiVO4 to CoFe-PB is observed. This process retards recombination, enabling holes to accumulate in the catalyst. Holes in CoFe-PB remain reactive, oxidizing water at a similar rate to holes in pristine BiVO4. CoFe-PB therefore enhances performance by presenting a favorable interface for efficient hole transfer, combined with the catalytic function necessary to drive water oxidation.