Facile preparation of BiVO4 nanoparticle film by electrostatic spray pyrolysis for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Bismuth vanadate has a band structure that is well-suited for potential use as a photoanode in solar water splitting. Here we describe the successful fabrication of a densely uniform BiVO4 nanoparticle film on fluorine-doped tin oxide coated glass based on an electrostatic spray pyrolysis process. The deposition temperature and the mole ratio of Bi/V were controlled to find the optimal preparation condition. The optimized thin film has a monoclinic crystal structure, and the diameter of the nanoparticles is about 20-80 nm. Under simulated AM 1.5G illumination, the best performing photocurrent density can reach to 0.8 mA/cm(2) at an applied potential of 1.9 V versus RHE while the corresponding average incident photon to current conversion efficiency within the absorption range is similar to 5%. Besides, the synthesis details discussed in this work can provide a generic route for preparing other binary oxide films. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.