Photoelectrochemical
(PEC) water splitting is one of the most promising
sustainable methods for feasible solar hydrogen production. However,
this method is still impractical due to the lack of suitable photoanode
materials that are efficient, stable, and cost-effective. Here, we
present a surprisingly simple fabrication method for efficient, stable,
and cost-effective nanometer-thick hematite films utilizing a rapid,
ambient annealing approach. In the oxygen evolution reaction, the
fabricated hematite films exhibit a Faradaic efficiency of 99.8% already
at 1 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), a real photocurrent
density of 2.35 mA cm–2 at 1.23 V versus RHE, and
a superior photo-oxidation stability recorded for over 1000 h. Considering
the active surface area, the measured photocurrent density is higher
than any value achieved so far by hematite and other single-material
thin-film photoanodes. Hence, we show for the first time that undoped
hematite thin films can compete with doped hematite and other semiconductor
materials.