Photoilluminated Redox-Processed Rh₂P Nanoparticles on Photocathodes for Stable Hydrogen Production in Acidic Environments

Abstract

While photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells show promise for solar-driven green hydrogen production, exploration of various light-absorbing multilayer coatings has yet to significantly enhance their hydrogen generation efficiency. Acidic conditions can enhance the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics and reduce overpotential losses. However, prolonged acidic exposure deactivates noble metal electrocatalysts, hindering their long-term stability. Progress requires addressing catalyst degradation to enable stable, efficient, and acidic PEC cells. Here, we proposed a process design based on the photoilluminated redox deposition (PRoD) approach. We use this to grow crystalline Rh 2 P nanoparticles (NPs) with a size of 5−10 on 30 nm-thick TiO 2 , without annealing. Atomically precise reaction control was performed by using several cyclic voltammetry cycles coincident with light irradiation to create a system with optimal catalytic activity. The optimized photocathode, composed of Rh 2 P/TiO 2 /Al−ZnO/Cu 2 O/Sb−Cu 2 O/ITO, achieved an excellent photocurrent density of 8.2 mA cm −2 at 0 V RHE and a durable water-splitting reaction in a strong acidic solution. Specifically, the Rh 2 P-loaded photocathode exhibited a 5.3-fold enhancement in mass activity compared to that utilizing just a Rh catalyst. Furthermore, in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) was performed to observe the real-time growth process of Rh 2 P NPs in a liquid cell.