The effect of nanoparticulate PdO co-catalysts on the faradaic and light conversion efficiency of WO3 photoanodes for water oxidation
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Wilson, Anna A
Corby, Sacha
Francas, Laia
Durrant, James R
Kafizas, Andreas
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
WO3 photoanodes offer rare stability in acidic media, but are limited by their selectivity for oxygen evolution over parasitic side reactions, when employed in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, this is remedied via the modification of nanostructured WO3 photoanodes with surface decorated PdO as an oxygen evolution co-catalyst (OEC). The photoanodes and co-catalyst particles are grown using an up-scalable aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AA-CVD) route, and their physical properties characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Subsequent PEC and transient photocurrent (TPC) measurements showed that the use of a PdO co-catalyst dramatically increases the faradaic efficiency (FE) of water oxidation from 52% to 92%, whilst simultaneously enhancing the photocurrent generation and charge extraction rate. The Pd oxidation state was found to be critical in achieving these notable improvements to the photoanode performance, which is primarily attributed to the higher selectivity towards oxygen evolution when PdO is used as an OEC and the formation of a favourable junction between WO3 and PdO, that drives band bending and charge separation.
Date Issued
2021-01-14
Date Acceptance
2020-12-14
Citation
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2021, 23 (2), pp.1285-1291
ISSN
1463-9076
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Start Page
1285
End Page
1291
Journal / Book Title
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
Volume
23
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© the Owner Societies 2021. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.
License URL
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000610150200050&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Chemistry, Physical
Physics, Atomic, Molecular & Chemical
Chemistry
Physics
THIN-FILMS
PALLADIUM
PERFORMANCE
BIVO4
OXIDE
NANONEEDLES
DYNAMICS
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-12-14