Texture development and surface reconstruction of BiVO4 photoanode via one-pot hydrothermal reaction for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting

The simultaneous optimization of the bulk and surface characteristics of photoelectrodes is essential to maximize their photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. We report a novel one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of textured and surface-reconstructed BiVO4 photoanodes (ts-BVO), achieving significant imp...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sung Won Hwang, Yoo Jae Jeong, Runfa Tan, Indhujasri Saravanan, Hyun Soo Han, Dong Hoe Kim, In Sun Cho
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Tsinghua University Press 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Advanced Ceramics
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Online Access:https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/JAC.2025.9221043
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Summary:The simultaneous optimization of the bulk and surface characteristics of photoelectrodes is essential to maximize their photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. We report a novel one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of textured and surface-reconstructed BiVO4 photoanodes (ts-BVO), achieving significant improvements in PEC water splitting. By controlling precursor molarity and ethylene glycol (EG) addition, we developed a stepwise dual reaction (SDR) mechanism, which enables simultaneous bulk texture development and surface reconstruction. The optimized CoBi/ts-BVO photoanode exhibited a photocurrent density of 4.3 mA∙cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) with a high Faradaic efficiency of 98% under one sun illumination. Compared with nontextured BiVO4, the charge transport efficiency increased from 8% to 70%, whereas the surface charge transfer efficiency improved from 9% to 85%. These results underscore the critical role of both bulk and surface engineering in enhancing PEC performance. Our findings offer a streamlined approach for improving the intrinsic properties of photoanodes in solar water splitting.
ISSN:2226-4108
2227-8508