A Co‐catalyst‐Loaded Ta₃N₅ Photoanode with a High Solar Photocurrent for Water Splitting upon Facile Removal of the Surface Layer

Abstract

Oberflächenchemie: Eine durch thermische Oxidation und Nitrierung hergestellte Ta3N5‐Photoanode zeigt den höchsten bisher mit einer Ta3N5‐Photoanode erreichten Photostrom. Dieser Photostrom entsteht hauptsächlich als Folge des leichten thermischen und mechanischen Abblätterns der passivierenden Oberflächenschicht von der Ta3N5‐Photoanode (siehe Bild).

Surface Engineering of BiVO4 Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: Recent Advances

“…By depositing OECs, BiVO 4 photoanodes can overcome the disadvantages of photo-corrosion, low carrier mobility, and slow oxidation kinetics. There is evidence that CoÀ Pi, IrO x , RhO x , CoO x and CoO x /RhO x cocatalysts can improve PEC performance and stability of nitrides (Ta 3 N 5 ) [170,171,172] and oxynitrides (TaON, [173,174] BaTaO 2 N, [175] SrNbO 2 N. [176] Recently, Co-based OECs have been attracting much interest owing to their high performance under near-neutral pH circumstances and low cost. [177] During the water oxidation reaction, photogenerated holes from BiVO 4 valence states are transferred to Co 3 + /2 + species, thus greatly reducing the overpotential.…”

“…By depositing OECs, BiVO 4 photoanodes can overcome the disadvantages of photo‐corrosion, low carrier mobility, and slow oxidation kinetics. There is evidence that Co−Pi, IrO x , RhO x , CoO x and CoO x /RhO x cocatalysts can improve PEC performance and stability of nitrides (Ta 3 N 5 ) [170,171,172] and oxynitrides (TaON, [173,174] BaTaO 2 N, [175] SrNbO 2 N [176] …”

Suppression of charge carrier recombination in a Ta3N5 photoanode via defect regulation: a theoretical investigation

“…Recent experimental ndings 19 indicate that Mg or/and Zr dopants in Mg-Zr co-doped Ta 3 N 5 signicantly suppress the reduced Ta species. For the roles of O impurities, on the one hand, crystal defects associated with O impurities 23,24 may serve as recombination centers; on the other hand, O impurities have been observed to enhance conductivity. 20,21 These ndings emphasize the signicance of guring out the impacts of individual defect species and their combinations on the charge carriers within the Ta 3 N 5 photoanode.…”