Enhanced photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation in neutral electrolyte using non-vacuum processed CIGS photocathodes with an earth-abundant cobalt sulfide catalyst

Abstract

A CIGS-based photocathode combined with an earth abundant Co–S catalyst has demonstrated remarkable photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation in neutral electrolyte.

BiOCl/WS2 hybrid nanosheet (2D/2D) heterojunctions for visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of organic/inorganic water pollutants

“…[3][4][5] Since the rst report on TiO 2 catalyzed water splitting under the UV irradiation by Fujishima and Honda, 6 there has been a plethora of examples of hydrogen gas production via water splitting using solar energy and water disinfection by using photocatalytic degradation of water pollutants. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] The photocatalytic degradation of water pollutants is a very promising technology being an eco-friendly, low cost technique and having a lack of any consequential contamination. [15][16][17] A large variety of semiconductor nanoheterostructures have been proposed and fabricated to date that contribute to the advancement of photocatalytic conversion technology.…”

A Review of Inorganic Photoelectrode Developments and Reactor Scale‐Up Challenges for Solar Hydrogen Production

“…Such devices can produce high efficiencies [ 157 ] and may potentially be compatible with low‐cost fabrication methods. [ 158 ] As with III–V materials, stability remains an issue, with protection strategies being a key concern.…”

Towards Highly Efficient Chalcopyrite Photocathodes for Water Splitting: The Use of Cocatalysts beyond Pt

“…Therefore, the low photocurrents of bare Cu-chalcopyrite are due to the poor h sep and h cat caused by the inefficient charge separation and slow kinetics of charge transfer to the HER. [20][21][22][23] The work required to separate the photogenerated electrons and holes in bare CIGS or CIS is related to the electric field generated by the charge redistribution at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface, which is not high enough in bare Cu-chalcopyrite, resulting in a low h sep . [18] The most efficient way to improve the charge separation in these semiconductors is by the modification of the photocathode surface with a thin n-type buffer layer.…”