Construction of PANI/Sb₂S₃ p-n Junction Photoanode for Enhancing Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation

Abstract

Antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) is an emerging photovoltaic material that comprises earth-abundant, non-toxic constituents and has a high absorption coefficient (>104 cm−1). Nevertheless, the serious bulk recombination phenomenon and the slow electrochemical reaction kinetics on the surface of Sb2S3 electrode restrict its application in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, we have designed a polyaniline (PANI)/Sb2S3 p-n junction photoanode successfully to address these issues. With the modification of in-situ anchored PANI, the composite electrode exhibits enhanced light-absorption and accelerated charge transfer efficiency. As a result, the photocurrent density of optimized PANI/Sb2S3 photoanode is about twice of pristine Sb2S3, being a promising material for PEC water splitting.

Fabrication of Flower-Shaped Sb2S3/Fe2O3 Heterostructures for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance

“…In recent years, metal chalcogenides have attracted much attention due to their suitable energy band positions, energy band gaps, adjustable chemical compositions, adjustable morphologies, abundant active sites, and strong optical absorption in the visible region. − Among them, the n-type semiconductor Sb 2 S 3 has a band gap of 1.6–1.8 eV and a superior optical absorption coefficient of above 10 5 cm –1 , , a theoretical maximum photocurrent density of about 24.5 mA/cm 2 under simulated daylight irradiation (AM 1.5 G) and a solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of about 28%. In addition, Sb 2 S 3 is environmentally friendly and more abundantly stored in the earth compared with Sb 2 Se 3 .…”

“…However, very few reports have used Sb 2 S 3 as the main component of a photoanode for decomposing water, mainly due to its relatively fast degradation, surface defects, low electron–hole separation efficiency, and poor carrier transport . To overcome these issues, strategies such as morphology control, surface modification, doping, and constructing heterojunctions ,,− have been proposed. In general, the Sb 2 S 3 photoanode is still in its infancy and needs further development and exploration.…”

Designing 1D Plasmonic Ag/CuWO4 Nanocomposite for Enhancing Visible-Light Photoelectrochemical Performance

“…1,2 In this regard, photo-electrochemical (PEC) water splitting is widely considered as a promising technology to produce green hydrogen. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] The main challenges of ongoing research on solar fuels involve developing low cost and environmentally friendly materials that exhibit efficient absorption of solar radiation and are effective in generating/separating charge carriers for electrochemical water reduction or oxidation. [11][12][13][14] In recent studies, CuWO 4 was introduced as a promising system for PEC applications due to its optimal band gap (about 2.2-2.4 eV) for water splitting, and theoretically solar to hydrogen (STH) efficiencies of up to 13%.…”