Photoanode with Enhanced Performance Achieved by Coating BiVO4onto ZnO-Templated Sb-Doped SnO2Nanotube Scaffold.
The performance of BiVO4photoanodes, especially under front-side illumination, is limited by the modest charge transport properties of BiVO4. Core/shell nanostructures consisting of BiVO4coated onto a conductive scaffold are a promising route to improving the performance of BiVO4-based photoanodes. Here, we investigate photoanodes composed of thin and uniform layers of BiVO4particles coated onto Sb-doped SnO2(Sb:SnO2) nanotube arrays that were synthesized using a sacrificial ZnO template with controllable length and packing density. We demonstrate a new record for the product of light absorption and charge separation efficiencies (ηabs× ηsep) of ∼57.3 and 58.5% under front- and back-side illumination, respectively, at 0.6 VRHE. Moreover, both of these high ηabs× ηsepefficiencies are achieved without any extra treatment or intentional doping in BiVO4.These results indicate that integration of Sb:SnO2nanotube cores with other successful strategies such as doping and hydrogen treatment can increase the performance of BiVO4and related semiconductors closer to their theoretical potential.
Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute , Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States.
Lite
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9771-4653
L
Zhou
Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute , Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States.
Yang
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0221-7046
Y
Yang
Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute , Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States.
Jing
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9122-2669
J
Zhang
Department of Mechanical Engineering and ‡Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute , Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States.
Pratap M
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1324-498X
PM
Rao
BiVO4; Sb:SnO2; core/shell nanotube; photoanode; photoelectrochemical