Surface engineering of nanoporous silicon photocathodes for enhanced photoelectrochemical hydrogen production

Abstract

Silicon (Si) is a promising semiconductor material in photoelectrochemical (PEC) H2 evolution due to its advantages of Earth-abundant element, non-toxicity, broad absorption of the solar spectrum, high saturated-current and industrial...

Enhancing the Photoelectrochemical Performance of a Nanoporous Silicon Photocathode through Electroless Nickel Deposition

“…Here, an analysis of the PEC properties of NPSi, both before and after Ni deposition, is illustrated in Figure 5 a. It reveals that following Ni deposition, the PEC current density of NPSi experiences a substantial increase, with an enhancement of approximately 22.5 mA/cm 2 under an applied bias of −1.2 V, closely resembles that of the TiO 2 -Si photocathode reported in prior research [ 45 ]. The factors contributing to the heightened PEC efficiency following deposition are multifaceted.…”

“…Here, an analysis of the PEC properties of NPSi, both before and after Ni deposition, is illustrated in Figure 5a. It reveals that following Ni deposition, the PEC current density of NPSi experiences a substantial increase, with an enhancement of approximately 22.5 mA/cm 2 under an applied bias of −1.2 V, closely resembles that of the TiO 2 -Si photocathode reported in prior research [45] Following the deposition of Ni onto the surface of NPSi, both low reflectance and consistent fluorescence characteristics were preserved, as depicted in Figure 5b. This observation carries substantial implications for enhancing the efficiency of PEC processes.…”

An assembled ternary photocatalyst CoPh/CdSe@TiO2 for simultaneous photocatalytic CO2and proton reduction

“…In this situation, CdSe QDs function as a photosensitizer, and the larger photocurrent of CdSe@TiO 2 demonstrates that the photoelectrons generated in CdSe QDs conduct through TiO 2 to the electrode. [43][44][45][46][47] The presence of TiO 2 enhances the charge separation in CdSe QDs and thus a larger photocurrent is generated. According to Mott-Schottky measurements (ESI, † Fig.…”

Interface-Engineered Ni-Coated CdTe Heterojunction Photocathode for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution

“…Solar-driven PEC water splitting provides a sustainable and storable energy source assisting in reducing society’s dependence on fossil fuels, consequently reducing CO 2 emissions and improving the ecological environment. − The key part of the PEC water splitting cell is the semiconductor photoelectrode, which is required to efficiently absorb and convert solar energy into electrons and holes. Although much research effort has been dedicated to the investigation of different semiconductor photoelectrodes, − it is still very challenging to develop a low-cost, robust, and highly efficient semiconductor photoelectrode to enable a practical solar hydrogen production. , …”