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  5. The aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition of Mo-doped BiVO4 photoanodes for solar water splitting: an experimental and computational study
 
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The aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition of Mo-doped BiVO4 photoanodes for solar water splitting: an experimental and computational study
File(s)
d4ta02605e.pdf (1.63 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Zhao, Shaobin
Jia, Chenglin
Shen, Xinyi
Li, Ruohao
Oldham, Louise
more
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
BiVO4 is one of the most promising light absorbing materials for use in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting devices. Although intrinsic BiVO4 suffers from poor charge carrier mobility, this can be overcome by Mo-doping. However, for Mo-doped BiVO4 to be applied in commercial PEC water splitting devices, scalable routes to high performance materials need to be developed. Herein, we propose a scalable aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AA-CVD) route to high performance Mo-doped BiVO4. The materials were characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, and a range of PEC tests. By studying a range of Mo-precursor doping levels (0 to 12% Mo : V), an optimum precursor doping level was found (6% Mo : V); substituting V5+ sites in the host structure as Mo6+. In PEC water oxidation the highest performing material showed an onset of photocurrent (Jon) at ∼0.6 VRHE and a theoretical solar photocurrent (TSP) of ∼1.79 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE and 1 sun irradiance. Importantly, Mo-doping was found to induce a phase change from monoclinic clinobisvanite (m-BiVO4), found in undoped BiVO4, to tetragonal scheelite (t-BiVO4). The effect of Mo-doping on the phase stability, structural and electronic properties was examined with all-electron hybrid exchange density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Doping into V and Bi sites at 6.25 and 12.5 at% was calculated for t-BiVO4 and m-BiVO4 phases. In accord with our observations, 6.25 at% Mo doping into the V sites in t-BiVO4 is found to be energetically favoured over doping into m-BiVO4 (by 2.33 meV per Mo atom inserted). The computed charge density is consistent with n-doping of the lattice as Mo6+ replaces V5+ generating an occupied mid-gap state ∼0.4 eV below the conduction band minimum (CBM) which is primarily of Mo-4d character. Doubling this doping level to 12.5 at% in t-BiVO4 resulted in the mid-gap state merging with the CBM and the formation of a degenerate semiconductor with electrons distributed over the 3d orbitals of V ions residing in the [001] plane. In conjunction with our experimental findings, this strongly suggests that it is the increased electron conductivity due to Mo doping of BiVO4 that produces a more active photoanode for water splitting, and that this maximises between 6.25 to 12.5 at% doping.
Date Issued
2024-10-21
Date Acceptance
2024-09-05
Citation
Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2024, 12 (39), pp.26645-26666
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/114435
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d4ta02605e
DOI
https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1039/d4ta02605e
ISSN
2050-7488
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Start Page
26645
End Page
26666
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Materials Chemistry A
Volume
12
Issue
39
Copyright Statement
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2024 Open Access Article. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.
License URL
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d4ta02605e
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2024-09-06
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