Journal
ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS
Volume 12, Issue 6, Pages 753-760Publisher
KOREAN INST METALS MATERIALS
DOI: 10.1007/s13391-016-6224-9
Keywords
nanocrystals; p-n junction heterostructures; photoelectrochemical performance; water oxidation; visible light
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [11074312, 61575225, 11374377, 11474174, 11404414]
- Undergraduate Research Training Program of Minzu University of China [URTP2015110009, URTP2015110010]
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Reducing the fast recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs of semiconductor photocatalyst is very important to improve its photocatalysis. In this paper we fabricate Cu2O nanocube-decorated BiVO4 nanocrystal (denoted as BiVO4@Cu2O nanocrystal@nanocube) heterostructure photocatalyst by coupling n-type BiVO4 with p-type Cu2O. The BiVO4@ Cu2O nanocrystal@nanocube photocatalysts show superior photocatalytic activities in photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity and photocatalytic water oxidation to BiVO4 photocatalysts under visible light illumination. The BiVO4@Cu2O nanocrystal@ nanocube heterostructure electrode achieves the highest photocurrent density of similar to 10 mu A cm(-2) at 0 V versus Ag/AgCl, 5 times higher than that of BiVO4 nanocrystal electrode (similar to 2 mu A cm(-2)). The light induced evolution rate of O-2 generation for BiVO4@Cu2O nanocrystal@ nanocube heterostructures is as high as 150 mu mol h(-1) 100 mg cat(-1), more than 3 times higher than that (48 mu mol h(-1) 100 mg cat(-1)) of BiVO4 nanocrystals. The enhanced photocatalysis activities of the BiVO4@Cu2O nanocrystal@ nanocube photocatalysts are attributed to the efficient separation of the photoexcited electron-hole pairs caused by inner electronic field (IEF) of p-n junction. This study opens up new opportunities in designing photoactive materials with highly enhanced performance for solar energy conversion.
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