Issue 9, 2015

Interface engineering of the photoelectrochemical performance of Ni-oxide-coated n-Si photoanodes by atomic-layer deposition of ultrathin films of cobalt oxide

Abstract

Introduction of an ultrathin (2 nm) film of cobalt oxide (CoOx) onto n-Si photoanodes prior to sputter-deposition of a thick multifunctional NiOx coating yields stable photoelectrodes with photocurrent-onset potentials of ∼−240 mV relative to the equilibrium potential for O2(g) evolution and current densities of ∼28 mA cm−2 at the equilibrium potential for water oxidation when in contact with 1.0 M KOH(aq) under 1 sun of simulated solar illumination. The photoelectrochemical performance of these electrodes was very close to the Shockley diode limit for moderately doped n-Si(100) photoelectrodes, and was comparable to that of typical protected Si photoanodes that contained np+ buried homojunctions.

Graphical abstract: Interface engineering of the photoelectrochemical performance of Ni-oxide-coated n-Si photoanodes by atomic-layer deposition of ultrathin films of cobalt oxide

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
30 May 2015
Accepted
15 Jul 2015
First published
15 Jul 2015
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Energy Environ. Sci., 2015,8, 2644-2649

Author version available

Interface engineering of the photoelectrochemical performance of Ni-oxide-coated n-Si photoanodes by atomic-layer deposition of ultrathin films of cobalt oxide

X. Zhou, R. Liu, K. Sun, D. Friedrich, M. T. McDowell, F. Yang, S. T. Omelchenko, F. H. Saadi, A. C. Nielander, S. Yalamanchili, K. M. Papadantonakis, B. S. Brunschwig and N. S. Lewis, Energy Environ. Sci., 2015, 8, 2644 DOI: 10.1039/C5EE01687H

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