Journal
CHEMSUSCHEM
Volume 14, Issue 21, Pages 4671-4679Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202101312
Keywords
alloys; chalcopyrite; cocatalyst; photoelectrochemistry; water splitting
Funding
- Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) [2020/09000-7, 2017/15144-9, 2019/26860-2, 2017/12794-2, 2013/07296-2, 2014/50249-8]
- CNPq/PIBIT [116077/2020-4]
- Shell (FAPESP) [2017/11986-5]
- ANP (Brazil's National Oil, Natural Gas, and Biofuels Agency) through the R&D levy regulation
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Solar radiation is used to produce hydrogen gas as an alternative to carbon-based fuels. Cu-chalcopyrites have excellent semiconductor characteristics but require improvements in photoelectrochemical cells due to drawbacks like charge recombination and slow charge transfer kinetics.
Solar radiation is a renewable and clean energy source used in photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) to produce hydrogen gas as a powerful alternative to carbon-based fuels. Semiconductors play a vital role in this approach, absorbing the incident solar photons and converting them into electrons and holes. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) occurs in the interface of the p-type semiconductor that works as a photocathode in the PEC. Cu-chalcopyrites such as Cu(In, Ga)(Se,S)(2) (CIGS) and CuIn(Se,S)(2) (CIS) present excellent semiconductor characteristics for this purpose, but drawbacks as charge recombination, deficient chemical stability, and slow charge transfer kinetics, demanding improvements like the use of n-type buffer layer, a protective layer, and a cocatalyst material. Concerning the last one, platinum (Pt) is the most efficient and stable material, but the high price due to its scarcity imposes the search for inexpensive and abundant alternative cocatalyst. The present Minireview highlighted the use of metal alloys, transition metal chalcogenides, and inorganic carbon-based nanostructures as efficient alternative cocatalysts for HER in PEC.
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