Abstract

Developing low-cost and highly efficient catalysts toward the efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is highly desirable for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, we demonstrated that N-incorporation could efficiently activate NiFeOx catalysts for significantly enhancing the oxygen evolution activity and stability of BiVO4 photoanodes, and the photocurrent density has been achieved up to 6.4 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), AM 1.5 G). Systematic studies indicate that the partial substitution of O sites in NiFeOx catalysts by low electronegative N atoms enriched the electron densities in both Fe and Ni sites. The electron-enriched Ni sites conversely donated electrons to V sites of BiVO4 for restraining V5+ dissolution and improving the PEC stability, while the enhanced hole-attracting ability of Fe sites significantly promotes the oxygen-evolution activity. This work provides a promising strategy for optimizing OER catalysts to construct highly efficient and stable PEC water splitting devices.

While solar-to-fuel conversion offers a renewable energy production strategy, photoelectrochemical water splitting requires further optimization. Here, authors examined nitrogen-doped NiFeOx catalysts to improve the oxygen evolution activity and stability of BiVO4 photoanodes.

Details

Title
Nitrogen-incorporation activates NiFeOx catalysts for efficiently boosting oxygen evolution activity and stability of BiVO4 photoanodes
Author
Zhang, Beibei 1 ; Yu, Shiqiang 2 ; Dai, Ying 2 ; Huang, Xiaojuan 3 ; Chou Lingjun 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Lu Gongxuan 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Dong Guojun 3 ; Bi Yingpu 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis & Selective Oxidation, National Engineering Research Center for Fine Petrochemical Intermediates, Lanzhou, P. R. China (GRID:grid.454832.c) (ISNI:0000 0004 1803 9237); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China (GRID:grid.410726.6) (ISNI:0000 0004 1797 8419) 
 Shandong University, School of Physics, Jinan, P. R. China (GRID:grid.27255.37) (ISNI:0000 0004 1761 1174) 
 Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis & Selective Oxidation, National Engineering Research Center for Fine Petrochemical Intermediates, Lanzhou, P. R. China (GRID:grid.454832.c) (ISNI:0000 0004 1803 9237) 
 Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis & Selective Oxidation, National Engineering Research Center for Fine Petrochemical Intermediates, Lanzhou, P. R. China (GRID:grid.454832.c) (ISNI:0000 0004 1803 9237); Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, CAS, Dalian, P. R. China (GRID:grid.410752.5) 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2604245405
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.