Scalable Conformal Coating Strategies for Surface Engineering of BiVO4 Photoanodes
Received date: 2024-04-18
Revised date: 2024-08-27
Online published: 2025-02-07
Supported by
National Natural Science Foundation of China(22379153)
Ningbo Key R&D Program(2023Z147)
Ningbo 3315 Program(2023Z147)
Solar photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting holds significant importance for the development of sustainable green energy. With ongoing research, the BiVO4 photoanode, a core component of PEC systems, faces challenges in scaling up and maintaining long-term stability. The superiority of fully conformal coating strategies lies in their lack of substrate size constraints, ability to suppress photo-corrosion of the BiVO4 semiconductor, creation of multifunctional interfaces, and potential synergistic action with heterojunctions and promoter catalysts, which may facilitate the stable operation of large-scale PEC water splitting devices for over 1000 hours. This review briefly introduces the basic principles of PEC water splitting and the development status of representative devices, elaborates on the important concept and main design principles of fully conformal coatings aimed at large-scale photoanodes, summarizes recent advances in materials capable of achieving fully conformal deposition coatings, including molecular catalysts, metal oxides/hydroxides, carbonized/sulfurized/phosphorized materials, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and discusses key characteristics of fully conformal coatings with greater development potential. Finally, it presents a prospective view on future trends in fully conformal coatings for BiVO4 photoanodes.
1 Introduction
2 Fundamentals of PEC water splitting and develop- ment status of PEC device
3 Basic principles of fully conformal coating strategy
3.1 Fully conformal coating and its importance
3.2 Primary design principles of fully conformal coating
4 Recent progress of fully conformal coating strategy
4.1 Molecular catalyst
4.2 Metal oxides/hydroxides
4.3 Carbide/Sulfide/Phosphide
4.4 Metal-organic framework
5 Conclusion and outlook
Weilong Qin , Ruiyuan Sun , Muhammad Bilal Akbar , Yang Zhou , Yongbo Kuang . Scalable Conformal Coating Strategies for Surface Engineering of BiVO4 Photoanodes[J]. Progress in Chemistry, 2025 , 37(3) : 425 -438 . DOI: 10.7536/PC240414
图1 Histogram of the Number of Reported PEC Reactors Over the Past 25 Years, Classified by Small-Area Devices (Gray) and Large-Area Devices (Green)[7], Where the Irradiation Area of Large-Area Devices Exceeds 50 cm2Fig. 1 Histogram of reported PEC reactors over the last 25 years concerning the number of small-area devices (grey) and large-area devices with an illuminated area higher than 50 cm2 (green)[7] |
图6 (a) Transmission Electron Microscopy Image of BiVO4 Particles; (b-d) BiVO4@PDA Particles[51]Fig. 6 (a)TEM images of BiVO4 particles;(b-d) BiVO4@PDA particles |
图8 Investigating the Carrier Dynamics of BiVO4 and PTh/BiVO4 Thin Film Materials Using Time-Resolved Photoluminescence (TR-PL) Experiments[58]: (a-b) Revealing the Impact of PTh Doping on the Carrier Recombination Process in BiVO4 Through Measurements of Transient Charge Transfer Rate (ktrans) and Recombination Rate Constant (krec); (c-d) Employing 355 nm Laser Pulse Excitation to Measure Transient-State Surface Photovoltage (Transient-State SPV) and Explore the Charge Separation and Recombination Behavior of BiVO4 and PTh/BiVO4 at Different TimescalesFig. 8 In time-resolved photoluminescence (TR-PL) experiments, the carrier dynamics characteristics of BiVO4 and PTh/ BiVO4 films were investigated. (a-b)Through the measurement of charge transfer rate (k trans) and recombination rate constant (k rec), the impact of PTh doping on the carrier recombination process in BiVO4 was revealed; (c-d)Transient surface optical voltage(transient-state SPV) measurements under 355 nm laser irradiation on a logarithmic timescale were conducted to explore the charge separation and recombination behavior of BiVO4 and PTh/ BiVO4 over different time scales |
图10 Charge Density Difference of FePc(P) Molecule, Showing Differential Charge Distribution via 2D Data Plot[66]: Yellow Clouds Represent Electron Accumulation and Cyan Clouds Indicate Electron Depletion (a) Top View; (b) Side ViewFig. 10 Charge density difference of FePc(P) with two-dimensional data diagram of differential charge:yellow cloud represents electron accumulation and cyan cloud denotes electron depletion;(a) top view;(b) side view |
图13 (a) Top-view SEM images of ITO/WO3/BiVO4 1 μm and (b) ITO/WO3/BiVO4 200 nm; (c) Schematic illustration of NT and TF electrode nanostructures and the associated PEC process, highlighting the operational advantages of ITO/WO3/BiVO4 nanotube structures[79]Fig. 13 Top view SEM micrographs of (a)ITO/WO3/BiVO4 1 μm scale; (b)ITO/WO3/BiVO4 200 nm scale;(c)Scheme of the NT and TF electrode nanostructures and the involved PEC process, highlighting the operative advantages of the ITO/WO3/BiVO4 nanotube structure |
表1 近年来采用共形涂层策略修饰BiVO4光阳极电极制备方法与性能汇总表Table 1 Summary of reported fabrication methods and PEC performance of BiVO4 photoanodes modified with conformal coating |
Photoanode | Fabrication methods | Coating | Current density (at 1.23 VRHE);Stability; area | ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
CoO x /BiVO4 | Drop-casting | Co4O4 Cubane | 5 mA/cm2 (pH 9.3 KBi);140 s;1 cm2 | 57 |
PTh-Fe/ BiVO4 | In-situ polymerized | PTh | 4.72 mA/cm2 (pH 9 KBi);40 h;2 cm2 | 58 |
NiOOH/PANI/BiVO4 | Photoelectrodeposition | PANI | 5.1 mA/cm2 (pH 7 KPi);3 h;2 cm2 | 59 |
BiVO4/Chu/CoSi | Solution synthesis + dripping | Chlorophyll-Cu | 5.1 mA/cm2 (0.5 M Na2SO4);12 000 s; \ | 60 |
BiVO4-C/N-Ag | Solution synthesis + annealing | PDA | 2.42 mA/cm2 (0.5 M Na2SO4);5 h;1 cm2 | 63 |
BiVO4@ZCF(P)-O | Anhydride-Urea process | ZnCoFe- phthalocyanine | 5.7 mA/cm2 (pH 7 KPi);40 h;\ | 66 |
NiFeOx/CTF-BTh/Mo: BiVO4 | Solution synthesis + electrodeposition | CTF-BTh | 5.7 mA/cm2 (pH 9 KBi);150 h;2 cm2 | 67 |
β-FeOOH/BiVO4 | Solution synthesis | β-FeOOH | 4.3 mA/cm2 (0.2 M Na2SO4);2 h;\ | 72 |
BiVO4/Ni@NiOOH | Dip-coating and annealing | Ni@NiOOH | 4.41 mA/cm2 (pH 9.5 KBi);10 h;\ | 73 |
CQDs/FeOOH/BiVO4 | Solution synthesis + spin coating | β-FeOOH | 2.53 mA/cm2 (0.2 M Na2SO4);2 h;\ | 76 |
BiVO4/FeOOH/ZnFe-LDH | Electrodeposition | FeOOH | 4.91 mA/cm2 (1 M Na2SO4);\ 6000 s | 77 |
FeOOH@1T-MoS2@BiVO4 | Annealing + photodeposition | 1T-MoS2 | 4.02 mA/cm2 ( 0.1 M KPi);8 h;2×2 cm2 | 78 |
BiVO4@Ni:FeOOH | Electrodeposition | Ni:FeOOH | 2.86 mA/cm2 ( 0.5 M Na2SO4);2 h;1 cm2 | 77 |
BiVO4/NiFeOOH/Co-Pi | Electrodeposition | NiFeOOH | 4.02 mA/cm2 ( 0.1 M KPi);7000 s;\ | 78 |
FeOOH/Ni‑N4‑O/BiVO4 | Spin + annealing | Ni‑N4‑O | 6.0 mA/cm2 (0.5 M KBi);200 h;2 cm2 | 80 |
BiVO4/Au/NiFeOOH | Electrodeposition + immersion | NiFeOOH | 5.3 mA/cm2 ( pH 9 KBi );\ | 84 |
WO3/BiVO4/TiO2/NiOOH | Spray + sputter | TiO2 | 5.3 mA/cm2 ( 0.5 M Na2SO4);4000 s;1 cm2 | 91 |
BiVO4/g-C3N4-NS | Annealing + immersion + Annealing | g-C3N4 | 3.12 mA/cm2 (0.2 M Na2SO4);200 s;1×5 cm2 | 92 |
CoOOH/g-C3N4/BiVO4 | Ultrasonic process + Annealing + immersion | g-C3N4 | 4.2 mA/cm2 (pH 7 KPi);6 h;\ | 93 |
NiOOH/GO/BiVO4 | Ultrasonic process | o-GO | 3.8 mA/cm2 (pH 7.1 KPi);34 h;2 cm2 | 95 |
FeSnOS-BiVO4 | Spin coating + post-annealing | FeSnOS | 3.1 mA/cm2 (0.5 M Na2SO4);\ | 96 |
BiVO4/CuSCN/NiFeO x | Spin-coating + electrodeposition | CuSCN | 5.6 mA/cm2 (pH 9.3 KBi);15 h;2 cm2 | 97 |
NiOOH/BP/BiVO4 | Ultrasonic process + Photoelectrodeposition | BP | 4.48 mA/cm2 (pH 7.1 KPi);60 h;2 cm2 | 98 |
OEC/MoO x /MQD/BiVO4 | Solution processed | MQD | 5.58 mA/cm2 (pH 9.3 KBi);100 h;2 cm2 | 99 |
[1] |
|
[2] |
|
[3] |
|
[4] |
|
[5] |
|
[6] |
|
[7] |
|
[8] |
|
[9] |
|
[10] |
|
[11] |
|
[12] |
|
[13] |
|
[14] |
|
[15] |
|
[16] |
|
[17] |
|
[18] |
|
[19] |
|
[20] |
|
[21] |
|
[22] |
|
[23] |
|
[24] |
|
[25] |
|
[26] |
|
[27] |
|
[28] |
|
[29] |
|
[30] |
|
[31] |
|
[32] |
|
[33] |
|
[34] |
|
[35] |
|
[36] |
|
[37] |
|
[38] |
|
[39] |
|
[40] |
|
[41] |
|
[42] |
|
[43] |
|
[44] |
|
[45] |
|
[46] |
|
[47] |
|
[48] |
|
[49] |
|
[50] |
|
[51] |
|
[52] |
|
[53] |
|
[54] |
|
[55] |
|
[56] |
|
[57] |
|
[58] |
|
[59] |
|
[60] |
|
[61] |
|
[62] |
|
[63] |
|
[64] |
|
[65] |
|
[66] |
|
[67] |
|
[68] |
|
[69] |
|
[70] |
|
[71] |
|
[72] |
|
[73] |
|
[74] |
|
[75] |
|
[76] |
|
[77] |
|
[78] |
|
[79] |
|
[80] |
|
[81] |
|
[82] |
|
[83] |
|
[84] |
|
[85] |
|
[86] |
|
[87] |
|
[88] |
|
[89] |
|
[90] |
|
[91] |
|
[92] |
|
[93] |
|
[94] |
|
[95] |
|
[96] |
|
[97] |
|
[98] |
|
[99] |
|
[100] |
|
[101] |
|
[102] |
|
[103] |
|
[104] |
|
[105] |
|
/
〈 |
|
〉 |