Oxygen-evolving Catalysts Generated In Situ And Intefaced With Silicon-based Semiconductors For Solar Water Spliting

The solar energy has the advantages of extensive distribution, inexhaustibleand clean, being a kind of good new energy to meet the human demand.Hydrogen energy is a kind of no pollution, easy storage and high combustionheat energy. So converting solar energy into hydrogen energy has become apromising way to the solar energy utilization.Silicon is an attractive materials choice for constructing an artificial leafbecause of its earthabundance and prevalence in the electronics and photovoltaicPV industries. Electricity produced by photovoltatic cells technology combinedwith electrolysis of water technology, provides a new way for the utilization ofsolar energy.The paper choose silicon as light-harvesting materials comprising withoxygen-evolving catalysts(OEC) to carry out the solar-driven water-splittingproduced hydrogen in near-neutral pH conditions. The device could efficient useof the solar spectrum for photon to charge conversion and achieve watersplitting producing hydrogen by photo-electrochemical using sunlight. The physical properties of obtained catalysts were characterized by SEM, EDS, XRDand XPS. The oxygen-evolving properties and stability of thephotoelectric anode were examined by variety of electrochemical methods. Themain research contents are as follows:(1) We choose Silicon(3jun-a-Si) as light-harvesting materials comprisingwith oxygen-evolving catalysts(OEC) Co to carry out the solar-drivenwater-splitting produced hydrogen that operate in near-neutral pH conditionsunder1atm and room temperature. The amorphous forms cobalt oxides oxygenevolving catalyst (Co-OEC) on the Si PV materials is formed in situ. The devicecould efficient utilization of the solar spectrum for photon to charge conversionand achieve water splitting produced hydrogen by photo-electrochemical usingsunlight. The amorphous forms cobalt oxides oxygen evolving catalyst(Co-OEC) on the Si PV materials for hydrogen production by water splittingwas formed in situ. The results show that the Co-OEC exhibits excellent oxygenevolution properties, with an current density of13mA/cm2held at0V vs. NHEunder AM1.5simulated sunlight.(2) A Ag-Bioxygen evolution catalyst was electrodeposited in situ on thesurface of3jun-a-Si semiconductor in a0.l mol/L K2B4O7solution containing1mmol/L of AgNO3under1atm and room temperature. The oxygen evolvingcatalyst (Ag-OEC) formated on the Si PV materials for hydrogen production bywater splitting in situ. The results show that the Ag-OEC exhibits excellentoxygen evolution properties, with a current density of11mA/cm2held at0.5V vs. NHE under AM1.5simulated sunlight.(3) We choose0.1mol/L Na2CO3solution as buffered solution,3jun-a-Sicomprising with oxygen-evolving catalysts (OEC) Ag operate in near-neutral pHconditions under1atmosphere and room temperature. The results show that theAg-Ciexhibits excellent oxygen evolution properties under the irradiating ofsimulation sunlight, with an current density of9mA/cm2held at0.5V vs. NHEunder AM1.5simulated sunlight.