Journal
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
Volume 201, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2019.110079
Keywords
Cu complex; Peptide; Water oxidation; Electrodeposition; Precursor complex
Funding
- NRDI Office, Hungary [NKFI-128841]
- European Structural and Investment Funds
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences
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The true electrocatalyst of water oxidation in a number of cases proved to be an in situ developed 'CuO' film instead of (or beside) the original Cu complex itself, since the breaking of metal-ligand interactions under the applied conditions often successfully compete with the homogeneous process. The decomposition of a catalyst candidate is obviously unwanted; on the other hand, inexpensive and controllable precursor complexes represent an exciting platform to fabricate nanostructured metal oxide coatings utilized in artificial photosynthesis. We investigated the Cu-triglycine complex equilibrium system with uniform {N,N,N,O}(eq) peptide binding mode throughout the pH range of similar to 7 to 10 in borate buffer. In the presence of the complex under the conditions of water oxidation electrocatalysis the development of a 'CuO' nanoparticle coating was observed on the indium tin oxide working electrode. This coating acted as a robust electrocatalyst of water oxidation. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated a mixed Cu2O/CuO/Cu(OH)(2) surface composition. Fine coatings could be also fabricated on different electrodes including glassy carbon, boron-doped diamond and an n-type semiconducting alpha-Fe2O3 nanoarray, importantly, without ruining its morphology. We identified the interplay between the coexistent borate equilibrium species and the Cu-triglycine system as the key factor to define the dominant process and allow control over the deposition.
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