Huang Jing, Huang Yijie, Guo Puwen, Li Yinchang
Hubei Key Laboratory of Pollutant Analysis and Reuse Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi, China.
International Collaboration Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
Front Chem. 2024 Sep 24;12:1471340. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1471340. eCollection 2024.
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is regarded as a potential technique for converting solar energy. However, the fast charge recombination and slow water oxidation kinetics significantly have hindered its practical application. It is found that an elevation in operation temperature can activate the charge transport in the photoanodes. Here, a strategy was performed that carbon nanoparticles were employed to TiO nanorods, acting as electron reservoirs as well as photothermal materials. More specifically, a record photocurrent density of 1.62 mA cm at 1.23 V vs. RHE has been achieved, accompanied by a high charge separation efficiency of 96% and a long-term durability for 8 h. The detailed experimental results reveal that under NIR light irradiation, the synergistic effect between electron storage and temperature rise leads to accelerated charge transport in the bulk and water oxidation kinetics on the surface. This research offers a new perspective on how to boost the PEC performance of photoelectrodes.
光电化学（PEC）水分解被视为一种转换太阳能的潜在技术。然而，快速的电荷复合和缓慢的水氧化动力学严重阻碍了其实际应用。研究发现，操作温度的升高可以激活光阳极中的电荷传输。在此，实施了一种策略，即将碳纳米颗粒应用于TiO纳米棒，其作为电子储存器以及光热材料。更具体地说，在相对于可逆氢电极（RHE）为1.23 V的电压下实现了1.62 mA cm的创纪录光电流密度，同时伴随着96%的高电荷分离效率和8小时的长期耐久性。详细的实验结果表明，在近红外光照射下，电子存储和温度升高之间的协同效应导致体内电荷传输加速以及表面水氧化动力学加快。这项研究为如何提高光电极的PEC性能提供了新的视角。
