title: Combinatorial approach to improve photoelectrodes based on BiVO4.
abstract: The photoelectrochemical behavior of materials based on binary Bi-V oxides was investigated by preparing libraries of ternary metal oxides using high-throughput combinatorial inkjet printing of oxide precursors onto conductive glass substrates. Subsequent pyrolysis of the printed films, with addition of various levels of a third metal oxide precursor, produced libraries of metal oxides that were immersed under potential control into an electrolyte solution and evaluated for water photooxidation or photoreduction activity using a laser scanning technique to produce photocurrent images. It was found that the photoelectrolysis activity of the Bi-V oxides of various stoichiometries was best at a Bi/V ratio of 1 to 1 or the BiVO4 phase. The photocurrent generation of this phase was improved by the addition of various amounts of W, Cu, Fe, Mg, and Mn. Addition of W led to the largest increase in photocurrent of up to 18 times; however the electronic band gap was increased compared to that of unsubstituted BiVO4.
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan University , Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chunping
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ruilin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Parkinson
mesh_terms: D001729:Bismuth; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004572:Electrolysis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010777:Photochemistry; D014638:Vanadates / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water; C091754:bismuth vanadium tetraoxide; D014638:Vanadates; D001729:Bismuth