Borate modified α-Fe2O3 achieves efficient photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production
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摘要: H2作为一种高效清洁的能源,具有较高的热值(285.8 kJ/mol)、清洁以及来源广等优势,是最有希望替代化石燃料的能源之一。在全球低碳能源政策的推动下,通过光电化学池进行光电催化分解水成为一种前景广阔且环保可持续的制氢方法,而制备廉价且稳定的半导体催化剂是其中的关键步骤。α-Fe2O3作为光阳极具有高理论光电转化效率和稳定性,但是也存在导电性差,空穴扩散长度和激子较短等弊端。为了提高其光电性能,通过浸渍-退火方法在α-Fe2O3纳米棒阵列表面负载了一层超薄的无定型硼酸盐助催化剂(BC)纳米层,制备了BC/α-Fe2O3光阳极催化剂用于光电催化分解水制氢。随后,本文分析了该光阳极催化剂的成分组成、形貌结构、表面状态、光谱吸收特性及分子价态形式,测试并对比了不同BC的制备和负载条件对光电性能的影响,研究了BC在光电催化分解水过程中的作用机制。研究结果显示,BC的负载显著降低了α-Fe2O3纳米棒阵列表面的陷阱密度和析氧过电位,提高了电荷分离效率,从而增强了光阳极的光电催化活性。在100 mW/cm2光照强度和0.1 mol/L KOH电解质中,1.23 V(相对于可逆氢电极)外加偏压的条件下,BC/α-Fe2O3光阳极获得了1.50 mA/cm2的光电流密度,单色光转化效率达到了26%(λ=360 nm)。Abstract: H2, as an efficient and clean energy source, possesses advantages such as high calorific value (285.8 kJ/mol), cleanliness, and wide availability, making it one of the most promising alternatives to fossil fuels. Under the global push for low-carbon energy policies, photoelectrocatalytic water splitting using photoelectrochemical cells has emerged as a promising and environmentally sustainable method for hydrogen production. A critical step in this process is the preparation of cost-effective and stable semiconductor catalysts. As a photoanode, α-Fe2O3 has high theoretical photoelectric conversion efficiency and stability, but it also has drawbacks such as poor conductivity, short hole diffusion length and excitons. In order to improve its photoelectric performance, an ultrathin amorphous borate cocatalyst (BC) layer was deposited on the surface of the α-Fe2O3 nanorod array using a dip-coating and annealing method, resulting in the BC/α-Fe2O3 photoanode catalyst for photoelectrocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen. Subsequently, the composition, morphology, surface state, spectral absorption characteristics, and molecular valence forms of the photoanode catalyst were analyzed. The impact of different preparation and loading conditions of the BC on the photoelectric performance was tested and compared, and the role of BC in the photoelectrocatalytic water splitting process was investigated. The research results indicated that the loading of the BC significantly reduced the trap density and oxygen evolution overpotential on the surface of the α-Fe2O3 nanorod array, thereby improving charge separation efficiency and enhancing the photoelectrocatalytic activity of the photoanode. Under conditions of 100 mW/cm2 light intensity, 0.1 mol/L KOH solution, and an applied bias of 1.23 V (relative to the reversible hydrogen electrode), the BC/α-Fe2O3 photoanode achieves a photocurrent density of 1.50 mW/cm2, with a monochromatic light conversion efficiency of 26% (λ=360 nm).
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Key words:
- photoelectrochemical cell /
- photoelectrocatalysis /
- water splitting /
- hematite /
- surface modification
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图 2 (a,d) α-Fe2O3、(b,e) BC/α-Fe2O3和(c,f) α-Fe2O3-B光阳极的俯视图和截面图;BC/α-Fe2O3光阳极的(g) EDS光谱和元素映射图、(h) TEM以及(i)高分辨TEM图
Figure 2. Top view and cross-sectional view of (a, d) α-Fe2O3, (b, e) BC/α-Fe2O3, and (c, f) α-Fe2O3-B photoanodes; (g) EDS spectrum and elemental mapping images, (h) TEM and (i) high-resolution TEM images of the BC/α-Fe2O3 photoanode
图 5 AM 1.5 G和0.1 mol/L KOH条件下,(a)不同浸渍时间和(b)退火温度的BC/α-Fe2O3光阳极LSV曲线,在最优条件下BC/α-Fe2O3,α-Fe2O3-B和α-Fe2O3光阳极(c) LSV、(d) IPCE、(e) ABPE和(d) M-S曲线
Figure 5. Under AM 1.5 G and 0.1 mol/L KOH conditions, (a) LSV curves of BC/α-Fe2O3photoanodes with different immersion times, and (b) LSV curves with varying annealing temperatures. Under optimal conditions, (c) LSV, (d) IPCE, (e) ABPE, and (f) M-S plots for BC/α-Fe2O3, α-Fe2O3-B, and α-Fe2O3 photoanodes
图 6 AM 1.5 G,BC/α-Fe2O3,α-Fe2O3-B和α-Fe2O3光阳极在0.1 mol/L KOH中的(a) OCP曲线、(b) OCP数据图、(c) EIS曲线和拟合电路图,以及在0.1 mol/L KOH(0.5 mol/L Na2SO3)测试的(d) LSV、(e)、ηbulk和(f)ηsurface曲线
Figure 6. Under AM 1.5 G, (a) OCP curves, (b) OCP data plots, (c) EIS curves and fitted circuit diagrams of BC/α-Fe2O3, α-Fe2O3-B, and α-Fe2O3 photoanodes in 0.1 mol/L KOH, and (d) LSV, (e) ηbulk, and (f) ηsurface plots tested in 0.1 mol/L KOH (0.5 mol/L Na2SO3)
表 1 α-Fe2O3基光阳极性质参数对比表
Table 1. Comparison of property parameters of α-Fe2O3-based photoanodes
Photoanode Eg/eV Current Density/(mW·cm2) IPCE ABPE Nd/cmbx53 Vfb/mV OCP/VRHE Rct,bulk/Ω α-Fe2O3 2.03 0.62,1.23 VRHE 15.5% 0.080% 7.1×1019 823.9 0.12 988.9 α-Fe2O3-B 2.01 0.98,1.23 VRHE 24.6% 0.120% 7.4×1019 962.5 0.15 531.9 BC/α-Fe2O3 2.01 1.50,1.23 VRHE 26.0% 0.145% 7.9×1019 388.6 0.23 323.1 Notes: Eg (Band gap); IPCE (Incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency); ABPE (Applied potential photoconversion efficiency); Nd (Donor concentration); Vfb (Flat band potential); OCP (Open-circuit voltage); Rct (Bulk charge transfer resistance). 表 2 BC/α-Fe2O3光阳极与其它材料的性质参数对比
Table 2. Comparison of property parameters between BC/α-Fe2O3 photoanode and other materials
Photoanode Electrolyte Current density/(mW·cm2) IPCE Reference α-Fe2O3@CoBi 0.1 mol/L NaBi 1.12,1.23 VRHE 32.0% [46] α-Fe2O3-B/Ti 1 mol/L NaOH 1.92,1.23 VRHE 35.0% [45] α-Fe2O3@NiFeP 0.1 mol/L KOH 1.75,1.23 VRHE 46.6% [55] α-Fe2O3@Ru 0.1 mol/L KOH 1.42,1.23 VRHE — [53] α-Fe2O3-Sn/NiFeOx 1 mol/L KOH 2.10,1.23 VRHE 13.0% [44] α-Fe2O3/NiFeOOH 1.0 mol/L Na2SO4 1.83,1.23 VRHE 41.0% [42] BC/α-Fe2O3 0.1 mol/L KOH 1.50,1.23 VRHE 26.0% 本文 -
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