title: Enhanced photoelectrochemical water oxidation of bismuth vanadate via a combined strategy of W doping and surface RGO modification.
abstract: Nanoporous bismuth vanadate is modified simultaneously via tungsten doping and graphene surface modification for use as an efficient photoanode. The modified films were prepared on a FTO substrate by a drop-cast method followed by photoreduction of graphene oxide. SEM, XRD, Raman and XPS characterization was conducted to confirm the incorporation of tungsten and reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and to look into their influences on the structure and performance of BiVO4. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis clearly revealed enhanced carrier density and improved electronic conductivity, which are beneficial for the enhancement of PEC performance in comparison to either individually doped or RGO modified BiVO4. Our results indicated that the enhanced PEC performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect of bulk doping and surface modification that facilitates electron and hole transport and transfer in the bulk and at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface.
authors.affiliation: International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 West Xianning Street, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China. lj-guo@mail.xjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaokang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 West Xianning Street, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China. lj-guo@mail.xjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Fujun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 West Xianning Street, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China. lj-guo@mail.xjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jinzhan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1757-4900
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 West Xianning Street, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China. lj-guo@mail.xjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Liejin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo