Emerging Surface, Bulk, and Interface Engineering Strategies on BiVO 4 for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell that collects and stores abundant sunlight to hydrogen fuel promises a clean and renewable pathway for future energy needs and challenges. Monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BiVO ), having an earth-abundancy, nontoxicity, suitable optical absorption, and an ideal n-type...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2022-03, Vol.18 (10), p.e2105084
Main Authors: Gaikwad, Mayur A, Suryawanshi, Umesh P, Ghorpade, Uma V, Jang, Jun Sung, Suryawanshi, Mahesh P, Kim, Jin Hyeok
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell that collects and stores abundant sunlight to hydrogen fuel promises a clean and renewable pathway for future energy needs and challenges. Monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BiVO ), having an earth-abundancy, nontoxicity, suitable optical absorption, and an ideal n-type band position, has been in the limelight for decades. BiVO is a potential photoanode candidate due to its favorable outstanding features like moderate bandgap, visible light activity, better chemical stability, and cost-effective synthesis methods. However, BiVO suffers from rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers that have impeded further improvements of its PEC performances and stability. This review presents a close look at the emerging surface, bulk, and interface engineering strategies on BiVO photoanode. First, an effective approach of surface functionalization via different cocatalysts to improve the surface kinetics of BiVO is discussed. Second, state-of-the-art methodologies such as nanostructuring, defect engineering, and doping to further enhance light absorption and photogenerated charge transport in bulk BiVO are reviewed. Third, interface engineering via heterostructuring to improve charge separation is introduced. Lastly, perspectives on the foremost challenges and some motivating outlooks to encourage the future research progress in this emerging frontier are offered.
ISSN:1613-6810
1613-6829
DOI:10.1002/smll.202105084