CaBi 6 O 10 : a novel promising photoanode for photoelectrochemical water oxidation

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Vol. 5; no. 18; pp. 8545 - 8554
• Main Authors: Liu, Zhifeng, Wang, Xuan, Cai, Qijun, Ma, Chonghao, Tong, Zhengfu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• ISSN: 2050-7488; 2050-7496
• DOI: 10.1039/C7TA01875D

Novel CaBi 6 O 10 films were prepared via a simple dip-coating method and applied as a photoanode in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting for the first time. Herein, the detailed growth mechanism of CaBi 6 O 10 has been discussed. The optical absorption of CaBi 6 O 10 was also investigated, and the results indicated that its ideal band-gap energy (∼2.3 eV) causes it to respond to visible light. Additionally, the morphology and thickness of the films were characterized in detail. PEC measurements showed that this CaBi 6 O 10 photoanode exhibits high photoelectrochemical activity based on the optimal pH value of the precursor solution and thickness of the film; its photocurrent density is as high as 0.39 mA cm −2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE under simulated sunlight. Moreover, the CaBi 6 O 10 photoelectrode displays a very stable photoelectric property under illumination. The excellent PEC performance is attributed to the excellent light absorbance, broad photoresponse range, and efficient photogenerated electron–hole pair separation of CaBi 6 O 10 . These results demonstrate that CaBi 6 O 10 is a promising photoanode for solar water splitting.