SiC photoelectrodes for a self-driven water-splitting cell

Photoelectrochemical properties of 4H-, 6H-, and 3C-SiC were characterized for a self-driven water-splitting cell. Correspondingly, the band edge potentials of SiC polytypes were estimated from the results of capacitance-voltage measurement in different electrolytes. The estimated potentials indicate that these polytypes were able to split water. The photocurrents of the epitaxially grown samples were found to be larger than the bulk samples. The solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of p-type SiC was estimated for the first time for a self-driven two-electrode system. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4740079]