Optically and Electrocatalytically Decoupled Si Photocathodes with a Porous Carbon Nitride Catalyst for Nitrogen Reduction with Over 61.8% Faradaic Efficiency

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 33; no. 18; pp. e2100812 - n/a
• Main Authors: Peramaiah, Karthik, Ramalingam, Vinoth, Fu, Hui‐Chun, Alsabban, Merfat M., Ahmad, Rafia, Cavallo, Luigi, Tung, Vincent, Huang, Kuo‐Wei, He, Jr‐Hau
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.05.2021
• Subjects: Ammonia; Carbon; Carbon nitride; Catalysts; Chemical reduction; Decoupling; decoupling light‐harvesting and electrocatalysis; Density functional theory; Efficiency; Electrical properties; Materials science; Nitrogen; nitrogen reduction; Optical properties; Photocathodes; photoelectrochemical; porous carbon nitride; decoupling light-harvesting and electrocatalysis; photoelectrochemical; porous carbon nitride; nitrogen reduction
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202100812

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) approach is attractive as a promising route for the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) toward ammonia (NH3) synthesis. However, the challenges in synergistic management of optical, electrical, and catalytic properties have limited the efficiency of PEC NRR devices. Herein, to enhance light‐harvesting, carrier separation/transport, and the catalytic reactions, a concept of decoupling light‐harvesting and electrocatalysis by employing a cascade n+np+‐Si photocathode is implemented. Such a decoupling design not only abolishes the parasitic light blocking but also concurrently improves the optical and electrical properties of the n+np+‐Si photocathode without compromising the efficiency. Experimental and density functional theory studies reveal that the porous architecture and N‐vacancies promote N2 adsorption of the Au/porous carbon nitride (PCN) catalyst. Impressively, an n+np+‐Si photocathode integrating the Au/PCN catalyst exhibits an outstanding PEC NRR performance with maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 61.8% and NH3 production yield of 13.8 µg h–1 cm–2 at −0.10 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), which is the highest FE at low applied potential ever reported for the PEC NRR. A Si photocathode with a unique design, in which the light‐harvesting and electrocatalysis components in the monolithic device are spatially decoupled, exhibits outstanding photoelectrochemical nitrogen reduction activity with maximum Faradaic efficiency of 61.8% and NH3 yield of 13.8 µg h−1 cm−2 at a low applied potential of −0.10 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode.