Synthesis of a Cu2O/Carbon Film/NiCoB-Graphene Oxide Heterostructure as Photocathode for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

Photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) for water splitting offer a promising way to convert solar energy into chemical energy. The electron transfer rate and surface-catalyzed ability toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) play key roles in the efficiency of PEC water splitting. In this work, a photocathode based on a Cu2O/Carbon film/NiCoB-graphene oxide (Cu2O/C/NiCoB-GO) heterostructure is fabricated. The thickness-controllable carbon film served as the electron transport and protective layer with favorable optical properties. The NiCoB-GO amorphous catalyst displays efficient performance towards HER in neutral condition. The optimized photocathode shows a PEC-HER performance with a photocurrent density of -2.9 mA/cm(2) at 0 V vs. RHE, and it also presents better stability than bare Cu2O. This work provides a novel heterostructure photocathode for promoting solar-driven PEC water splitting efficiently.