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Transparent Ta 3 N 5 Photoanodes for Efficient Oxygen Evolution toward the Development of Tandem Cells
Author(s) -
Higashi Tomohiro,
Nishiyama Hiroshi,
Suzuki Yohichi,
Sasaki Yutaka,
Hisatomi Takashi,
Katayama Masao,
Minegishi Tsutomu,
Seki Kazuhiko,
Yamada Taro,
Domen Kazunari
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201812081
Subject(s) - photocathode , tandem , photocurrent , water splitting , materials science , oxygen evolution , hydrogen production , electrode , optoelectronics , energy conversion efficiency , hydrogen , solar cell , photoelectrochemical cell , solar energy , nanotechnology , photocatalysis , chemistry , electrochemistry , catalysis , electrolyte , ecology , biochemistry , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , composite material , biology , electron
Photoelectrochemical water splitting is regarded as a promising approach to the production of hydrogen, and the development of efficient photoelectrodes is one aspect of realizing practical systems. In this work, transparent Ta 3 N 5 photoanodes were fabricated on n‐type GaN/sapphire substrates to promote O 2 evolution in tandem with a photocathode, to realize overall water splitting. Following the incorporation of an underlying GaN layer, a photocurrent of 6.3 mA cm −2 was achieved at 1.23 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode. The transparency of Ta 3 N 5 to wavelengths longer than 600 nm allowed incoming solar light to be transmitted to a CuInSe 2 (CIS), which absorbs up to 1100 nm. A stand‐alone tandem cell with a serially‐connected dual‐CIS unit terminated with a Pt/Ni electrode was thus constructed for H 2 evolution. This tandem cell exhibited a solar‐to‐hydrogen energy conversion efficiency greater than 7 % at the initial stage of the reaction.