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Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance of the BiVO 4 /Zn:BiVO 4 Homojunction for Water Oxidation
Author(s) -
Su Jinzhan,
Liu Cong,
Liu Dongyu,
Li Mingtao,
Zhou Jinglan
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201600767
Subject(s) - homojunction , bismuth vanadate , materials science , photoelectrochemistry , semiconductor , bismuth , photoelectrochemical cell , electron transfer , optoelectronics , surface states , electrode , doping , nanotechnology , chemistry , photocatalysis , photochemistry , electrolyte , surface (topology) , electrochemistry , catalysis , metallurgy , biochemistry , geometry , mathematics
Bismuth vanadate is a promising semiconductor for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation under visible light. Yet its PEC performance is limited by its poor electron‐transfer mobility. In this study we modified the BiVO 4 surface with Zn to address this problem. We used a ZnO coating and etching treatment to dope Zn atoms at the surface of BiVO 4 by replacing the Bi atoms. The surface Zn doping treatment lowered the Fermi level of the outer part of BiVO 4 (surface) and formed a BiVO 4 /Zn:BiVO 4 homojunction with a type II band alignment with the inner part of BiVO 4 (bulk). With this homojunction, the charge transfer process across the depletion region of the BiVO 4 electrode was improved and the surface trapping of photogenerated electrons was avoided, which led to an enhanced PEC performance.