High performance and toxicity assessment of Ta3N5 nanotubes for photoelectrochemical water splitting

In this work, Co-based cocatalysts are electrodeposited on mesoporous Ta3N5 nanotubes. The electrodeposition time is varied and the optimized photoelectrode reaches a photocurrent density of 6.3 mA/cm(2) at 1.23 V vs. SHE, under simulated solar illumination of 1 Sun, in 1 M NaOH. The best performing electrode, apart from the high photocurrent density, shows improved stability under intense photoelectrochemical water splitting conditions. The dual function of the cocatalyst to improve not only the photoelectrochemical performance, but also the stability, is highlighted. Moreover, we adopted a simple protocol to assess the toxicity of Co and Ta contained nanostructured materials (representing used photoelectrodes) employing the human cell line HeLa S3 as target cells.

Automated summary

In this study, Co-based cocatalysts were electrodeposited on mesoporous Ta3N5 nanotubes to achieve a photocurrent density of 6.3 mA/cm(2) at 1.23 V vs. SHE under simulated solar illumination. The best performing electrode not only exhibited high photocurrent density, but also improved stability under intense photoelectrochemical water splitting conditions. The dual function of the cocatalyst in enhancing both photoelectrochemical performance and stability was highlighted.