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Improved Photocurrents for Water Oxidation by Using Metal–Organic Framework Derived Hybrid Porous Co 3 O 4 @Carbon/BiVO 4 as a Photoanode
Author(s) -
Hou ChunChao,
Li TingTing,
Chen Yong,
Fu WenFu
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chempluschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.801
H-Index - 61
ISSN - 2192-6506
DOI - 10.1002/cplu.201500058
Subject(s) - photocurrent , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , carbon fibers , chemistry , porosity , heterojunction , spectroscopy , water splitting , diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform , chemical engineering , photocatalysis , catalysis , materials science , composite number , optoelectronics , composite material , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering , physics
Efforts to improve the overall efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting by promoting interfacial charge transfer and suppressing electron–hole recombination remain a challenge. Highly porous Co 3 O 4 @carbon derived from metal–organic frameworks was successfully embedded on the surface of BiVO 4 nanosheets. The Co 3 O 4 @carbon/BiVO 4 composites were fully characterised by a variety of techniques, including powder XRD, diffuse reflectance UV/Vis spectroscopy, BET surface area calculations, SEM, TEM, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, high‐angle annular dark‐field scanning TEM, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The construction of a heterojunction between porous Co 3 O 4 (p‐Co 3 O 4 ) and BiVO 4 significantly promoted charge transfer and suppressed the recombination of holes and electrons. Consequently, the p‐Co 3 O 4 @carbon/BiVO 4 photoanode demonstrated approximately tenfold higher photocurrent density relative to bare BiVO 4 and bulk Co 3 O 4 /BiVO 4 for water oxidation under the same conditions. Also, this system displayed good durability for water oxidation and could be recycled at least three times without any loss of catalytic activity.