Photoreaction Mechanism of the VS₄-Biomass Carbon Bifunctional Electrode for Photorechargeable Batteries

Abstract

Photosynthesis accounts for 90% of the energy conversion in the earth's ecosystem, which converts solar energy into chemical energy and produces organic matter efficiently. Inspired by photosynthesis, we constructed a biomimetic semiconductor material (VS 4 -biomass carbon) as a bifunctional electrode, where VS 4 and biomass carbon simulated the photosystem and electron transfer chains in photosynthesis, effectively suppressing carrier recombination. Then VS 4 -biomass carbon is introduced into a photorechargeable battery (PRB) to achieve simultaneous photoelectric conversion and storage. Under illumination, the photogenerated electrons/holes through VS 4biomass carbon can boost the electrochemical kinetics of batteries and increase charge storage capacity. In addition, with the high light absorption capability and charge carrier separation ability of VS 4 -biomass carbon, the PRBs can be directly photocharged to 180 mAh g −1 . Hence, this work provides a pathway for the efficient utilization of solar energy and high-performance energy storage devices.