Heterostructure of Si and CoSe₂: A Promising Photocathode Based on a Non-noble Metal Catalyst for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution.
Development of a solar water splitting device requires design of a low-cost, efficient, and non-noble metal compound as alternative to noble metals. For the first time, we showed that CoSe2 can function as co-catalyst in phototoelectrochemical hydrogen production. We designed a heterostructure of p-Si and marcasite-type CoSe2 for solar-driven hydrogen production. CoSe2 successively coupled with p-Si can act as a superior photocathode in the solar-driven water splitting reaction. Photocurrents up to 9 mA cm(-2) were achieved at 0 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the high photocurrents can be attributed to low charge transfer resistance between the Si and CoSe2 interfaces and that between the CoSe2 and electrolyte interfaces. Our results suggest that this CoSe2 is a promising alternative co-catalyst for hydrogen evolution.
Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106 (Taiwan).
Mrinmoyee
M
Basu
Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116 (Taiwan).
Zhi-Wei
ZW
Zhang
Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106 (Taiwan).
Chih-Jung
CJ
Chen
Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116 (Taiwan).
Po-Tzu
PT
Chen
Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116 (Taiwan).
Kai-Chih
KC
Yang
College of Sciences, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065 (P.R. China).
Chong-Geng
CG
Ma
Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106 (Taiwan).
Chun Che
CC
Lin
Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116 (Taiwan). sfhu.hu@ntnu.edu.tw.
Shu-Fen
SF
Hu
Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106 (Taiwan). rsliu@ntu.edu.tw.|Department of Mechanical Engineering and Graduate Institute of Manufacturing Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 106 (Taiwan). rsliu@ntu.edu.tw.
Ru-Shi
RS
Liu
cobalt selenide; hydrogen evolution; nanorods; semi-metals; water splitting