Open AccessSingle-Source Deposition of Mixed-Metal Oxide Films Containing Zirconium and 3d Transition Metals for (Photo)electrocatalytic Water Oxidation
Author(s) -
Víctor RiesgoGonzález,
Subhajit Bhattacharjee,
Xinsheng Dong,
David S. Hall,
Virgil Andrei,
Andrew D. Bond,
Clare P. Grey,
Erwin Reisner,
Dominic S. Wright
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
inorganic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 233
eISSN - 1520-510X
pISSN - 0020-1669
DOI - 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c00403
Subject(s) - photocurrent , oxide , tin oxide , electrocatalyst , transition metal , chemistry , catalysis , zirconium , inorganic chemistry , electrochemistry , water splitting , chemical engineering , electrode , materials science , optoelectronics , biochemistry , organic chemistry , photocatalysis , engineering
The fabrication of mixed-metal oxide films holds promise for the development of practical photoelectrochemical catalyst coatings but currently presents challenges in terms of homogeneity, cost, and scalability. We report a straightforward and versatile approach to produce catalytically active zirconium-based films for electrochemical and photoelectrochemical water oxidation. The mixed-metal oxide catalyst films are derived from novel single-source precursor oxide cage compounds containing Zr with first-row transition metals such as Co, Fe, and Cu. The Zr-based film doped with Co on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass exhibits the highest electrocatalytic O 2 evolution performance in an alkaline medium and an operational stability above 18 h. The deposition of this film onto a BiVO 4 photoanode significantly enhances its photoelectrochemical activity toward solar water oxidation, lowering the onset potential by 0.12-0.21 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and improving the maximum photocurrent density by ∼50% to 2.41 mA cm -2 for the CoZr-coated BiVO 4 photoanodes compared to that for bare BiVO 4 .