Preparation of WO3, BiVO4 and reduced graphene oxide composite thin films and their photoelectrochemical performance

• Published in: The Korean journal of chemical engineering Vol. 34; no. 12; pp. 3220 - 3225
• Main Authors: Yoon, Sang-Hyeok, Park, Dong-Wha, Kim, Kyo-Seon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.12.2017; Springer Nature B.V; 한국화학공학회
• Subjects: Biotechnology; Catalysis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Electrical resistivity; Electronic; Fluorine; Graphene; Heterojunctions; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Inorganic; Materials (Organic; Materials Science; Photocatalysis; Photocatalysts; Photoelectric effect; Photoelectric emission; Roasting; Spin coating; Thin Films; Tungsten oxides; Water splitting; 화학공학; Production of Hydrogen; rGO Thin Film; Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO); Heterojunction Photocatalyst Layers; WO; PEC Water Splitting; BiVO
• ISSN: 0256-1115; 1975-7220
• DOI: 10.1007/s11814-017-0237-4

Various thin films for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting were prepared and their PEC performance was tested. The precursor solutions for WO 3 and BiVO 4 photocatalysts were synthesized by solution processes, and the graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by Tour’s method and was calcined and converted to reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The composite photocatalyst thin films of WO 3 , BiVO 4 , WO 3 /BiVO 4 and WO 3 /BiVO 4 -rGO were prepared on fluorine doped tin oxide glass by spin coating and calcination processes and the PEC performances were analyzed for those photocatalyst layers. The controlled WO 3 /BiVO 4 heterojunction layer showed better PEC performance than the WO 3 or BiVO 4 single layer by the combined effects of photocatalysts. The WO 3 /BiVO 4 -rGO film with the optimum concentration of rGO showed a noticeable increase in photocurrent density because of the increased electrical conductivity by rGO and reduced recombination rate in BiVO 4 layer.