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Nanoparticles of CuBi2O4 Function as Efficient and Stable Photocathode for Photoelectrochemical Water-Splitting Reaction
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DOI：10.1002/cnma.70294.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Among narrow-bandgap p-type semiconductors, CuBi2O4 (CBO) has received potential interest as a photocathode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting due to its acceptable bandgap of ∼1.8 eV, positive onset potential, and reasonable stability in aqueous media. Here, a novel, solution-based two-step method is developed for the synthesis of CBO with different nanoparticle (NP) sizes. An electrodeposition process, followed by calcination, is explored for the synthesis of CBO NPs. To synthesize CBO NPs of various sizes (∼215 to 120 nm), different Cu(II) precursors are explored. PEC performance indicates that the CBO of the smallest particle size can generate the highest photocurrent density, −1.27 mA cm−2 under an applied potential of 0.2 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, which is nearly three times higher compared to the CBO, having a NP size of ∼215 nm. The enhanced PEC activity is mainly attributed to the increase in the surface-to-volume ratio of CBO. It is observed that with decreasing NP size, the carrier density increases; as a result, charge–transfer efficiency also varies. Finally, the optimized photocathode shows considerable stability in Na2SO4 medium, generating unaltered photocurrent density over a 2 h study. In addition to water-splitting, CBOs also exhibit efficient activity toward CO2 photoreduction.
Keywords:
CuBi2O4
narrow bandgap
photocathode
photoelectrochemical process
water-splitting reaction
