MOF derived NiO thin film formed p-n heterojunction with BiVO4 photoelectrode for enhancement of PEC performance

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces. A, Physicochemical and engineering aspects Vol. 655; p. 130282
• Main Authors: Zhang, Song, Lu, Yaru, Ding, Qijia, Yu, Yangfei, Huo, Pengwei, Shi, Weidong, Xu, Dongbo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 20.12.2022
• Subjects: BiVO4; Electrostatic attraction; Ni-MOF; Photoelectrochemical; Water splitting; Electrostatic attraction; Water splitting; Ni-MOF; Photoelectrochemical; BiVO4
• ISSN: 0927-7757; 1873-4359
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2022.130282

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) derived metal oxides with large surface and more metal active sites were beneficial for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this work, we used a novel and easy method for the Ni-MOF attached on BiVO4 photoelectrode surface by electrostatic attraction, afterwards the Ni-MOF/BiVO4 photoelectrodes were annealed at muffle to obtain MOF derived NiO/BiVO4 p-n heterojunction composite photoelectrodes. The thickness of NiO thin film with ultrathin structure was tested by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of NiO/BiVO4 composites photoelectrodes for water splitting was enhanced compared to the pure BiVO4 photoelectrode. The best NiO/BiVO4 photoelectrodes with about 70 nm thickness of NiO thin film showed the max photocurrent density with 1.94 mA/cm2 (1.23 V vs RHE) which was about 4.2 times than the pure BiVO4 with 0.46 mA/cm2 (1.23 V vs RHE). The charge injection and separation efficiency of NiO/BiVO4 photoelectrodes enhancement indicate that the NiO as a co-catalysis and form p-n heterojunction has improved the photoexcited carrier mobility which was benefited for the PEC performance of water splitting. [Display omitted]