title: A Si photocathode protected and activated with a Ti and Ni composite film for solar hydrogen production.
abstract: An efficient, stable and scalable hybrid photoelectrode for visible-light-driven H2 generation in an aqueous pH 9.2 electrolyte solution is reported. The photocathode consists of a p-type Si substrate layered with a Ti and Ni-containing composite film, which acts as both a protection and electrocatalyst layer on the Si substrate. The film is prepared by the simple drop casting of the molecular single-source precursor, [{Ti2(OEt)9(NiCl)}2] (TiNipre), onto the p-Si surface at room temperature, followed by cathodic in situ activation to form the catalytically active TiNi film (TiNicat). The p-Si|TiNicat photocathode exhibits prolonged hydrogen generation with a stable photocurrent of approximately -5 mA cm(-2) at 0 V vs. RHE in an aqueous pH 9.2 borate solution for several hours, and serves as a benchmark non-noble photocathode for solar H2 evolution that operates efficiently under neutral-alkaline conditions.
authors: Christian Doppler Laboratory for Sustainable SynGas Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW (UK) http://www-reisner.ch.cam.ac.uk/
authors: Yi-Hsuan
authors: YH
authors: Lai
authors: Hyun S
authors: HS
authors: Park
authors: Jenny Z
authors: JZ
authors: Zhang
authors: Peter D
authors: PD
authors: Matthews
authors: Dominic S
authors: DS
authors: Wright
authors: Erwin
authors: E
authors: Reisner
keywords: hydrogen evolution; photocatalysis; photosynthesis; silicon; water splitting
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