Engineering Cu₂O Nanowire Surfaces for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

Cu 2 O is a narrow band gap material serving as an important candidate for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction. However, the main challenge that hinders its practical exploitation is its poor photostability, due to its oxidation into CuO by photoexcited holes. Here, we thoroughly minimize the photo-oxidation of Cu 2 O nanowires by growing a thin layer of the TiO 2 protective layer and an amorphous layer of the VO x cocatalyst using magnetron sputtering and atomic layer deposition, respectively. After optimization of the protective and the cocatalyst layers, the photoelectrode exhibits a current density of −2.46 mA/cm 2 under simulated sunlight (100 mW/cm 2 ) at 0.3 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, and its performance is stable for an extended illumination time. The chemical stability and the good performance of the engineered photoelectrode demonstrate the potential of using earth-abundant materials as a lightharvesting device for solar hydrogen production.

Synthesis of CuOx nanostructures in novel electrolytes under hydrodynamic conditions for photoelectrochemical applications

“…Samples with a stronger Cu 2 O(111) orientation have registered lower resistance values. 7,32,43 Therefore, the lower resistance of the 250 rpm anodized sample can be attributed to the higher presence of this copper oxide phase. In addition, the lower resistance of this nanostructure can be explained by the better electron transfer due to a more homogeneous surface (Fig.…”

Synthesis of NiMoO4/NiMo@NiS Nanorods for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reactions in Electrocatalysts

“…As the global economy continues to develop, countries are accelerating the research and development of clean energy to address increasingly severe environmental problems [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Hydrogen, as an ideal clean energy source, has received widespread attention.…”