Hybrid photocathode based on a Ni molecular catalyst and Sb2Se3 for solar H2 production

We report a H-2 evolving hybrid photocathode based on Sb2Se3 and a precious metal free molecular catalyst. Through the use of a high surface area TiO2 scaffold, we successfully increased the Ni molecular catalyst loading from 7.08 +/- 0.43 to 45.76 +/- 0.81 nmol cm(-2), achieving photocurrents of 1.3 mA cm(-2) at 0 V vs. RHE, which is 81-fold higher than the device without the TiO2 mesoporous layer.

Automated summary

We present a hybrid photocathode, composed of Sb2Se3 and a molecular catalyst, for H-2 evolution. By using a high surface area TiO2 scaffold, we significantly increased the loading of the Ni molecular catalyst from 7.08 +/- 0.43 to 45.76 +/- 0.81 nmol cm(-2), resulting in photocurrents of 1.3 mA cm(-2) at 0 V vs. RHE, which is 81-fold higher than the device without the TiO2 mesoporous layer.