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Single-Source Bismuth (Transition Metal) Polyoxovanadate Precursors for the Scalable Synthesis of Doped BiVO4 Photoanodes.


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Abstract

Single-source precursors are used to produce nanostructured BiVO4 photoanodes for water oxidation in a straightforward and scalable drop-casting synthetic process. Polyoxometallate precursors, which contain both Bi and V, are produced in a one-step reaction from commercially available starting materials. Simple annealing of the molecular precursor produces nanocrystalline BiVO4 films. The precursor can be designed to incorporate a third metal (Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn), enabling the direct formation of doped BiVO4 films. In particular, the Co- and Zn-doped photoanodes show promise for photoelectrochemical water oxidation, with photocurrent densities >1 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). Using this simple synthetic process, a 300 cm2 Co-BiVO4 photoanode is produced, which generates a photocurrent of up to 67 mA at 1.23 V vs RHE and demonstrates the scalability of this approach.

Description

Keywords

BiVO4, doping, polyoxovanadate, single-source precursor, water oxidation

Journal Title

Adv Mater

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0935-9648
1521-4095

Volume Title

30

Publisher

Wiley
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/L015978/1)
We thank the following for financial support: China Scholarship Council (H.L.), the Cambridge Trusts (Vice Chancellor’s Award) and the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability (V.A.), A*STAR Graduate Scholarship (Overseas) (N.L.), Imperial College Research Fellowship (A.R.), Christian Doppler Research Association and the OMV Group (E.R), Herchel Smith Research Fund (S.D.P)