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Highly Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting with an Immobilized Molecular Co 4 O 4 Cubane Catalyst
Author(s) -
Wang Yong,
Li Fei,
Zhou Xu,
Yu Fengshou,
Du Jian,
Bai Lichen,
Sun Licheng
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201703039
Subject(s) - cubane , photocurrent , water splitting , catalysis , artificial photosynthesis , electrochemistry , materials science , chemistry , photoelectrochemistry , molecule , electrode , photocatalysis , optoelectronics , organic chemistry
Molecular Co 4 O 4 cubane water oxidation catalysts were combined with BiVO 4 electrodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The results show that tuning the substituent groups on cobalt cubane allows the PEC properties of the final molecular catalyst/BiVO 4 hybrid photoanodes to be tailored. Upon loading a new cubane complex featuring alkoxy carboxylato bridging ligands ( 1 h ) on BiVO 4 , an AM 1.5G photocurrent density of 5 mA cm −2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE for water oxidation was obtained, the highest photocurrent for undoped BiVO 4 photoanodes. A high solar‐energy conversion efficiency of 1.84 % was obtained for the integrated photoanode, a sixfold enhancement over that of unmodified BiVO 4 . These results and the high surface charge separation efficiency support the role of surface‐modified molecular catalysts in improving PEC performance and demonstrate the potential of molecule/semiconductor hybrids for efficient artificial photosynthesis.