中国物理B ›› 2023, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (11): 118201-118201.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/acef06

所属专题: SPECIAL TOPIC — Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Physics Discipline of Northwest University

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Fabrication and research of bi-functional CuNi2S4 nanosheets decorated TiO2/CuNi2S4 heterojunction photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Wei Jin(金伟), Liyuan Zhang(张立媛), Wenjing Zhang(张文静), Qian Sun(孙倩), Dekai Zhang(张德恺), Hui Miao(苗慧), and Xiaoyun Hu(胡晓云)   

  1. School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
  • 收稿日期:2023-05-16 修回日期:2023-07-28 接受日期:2023-08-11 出版日期:2023-10-16 发布日期:2023-11-07
  • 通讯作者: Hui Miao, Xiaoyun Hu E-mail:huim@nwu.edu.cn;hxy3275@nwu.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11974276 and 11804274), the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province of China (Grant No. 2023-JC-YB-139), the Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Transient Optics and Photonics, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. SKLST202211).

Fabrication and research of bi-functional CuNi2S4 nanosheets decorated TiO2/CuNi2S4 heterojunction photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Wei Jin(金伟), Liyuan Zhang(张立媛), Wenjing Zhang(张文静), Qian Sun(孙倩), Dekai Zhang(张德恺), Hui Miao(苗慧), and Xiaoyun Hu(胡晓云)   

  1. School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
  • Received:2023-05-16 Revised:2023-07-28 Accepted:2023-08-11 Online:2023-10-16 Published:2023-11-07
  • Contact: Hui Miao, Xiaoyun Hu E-mail:huim@nwu.edu.cn;hxy3275@nwu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11974276 and 11804274), the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province of China (Grant No. 2023-JC-YB-139), the Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Transient Optics and Photonics, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. SKLST202211).

摘要: As a traditional n-type semiconductor, TiO2 has good UV absorption ability and stable physical and chemical properties. However, its wide band gap and low oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity limit its application in the field of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this work, a type-II TiO2/CuNi2S4 heterojunction photoanode is successfully constructed, which expanded the light absorption range to visible and enhanced the OER activity. Firstly, TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) thin films are prepared on Ti substrates by two-step anodization, and then the bi-functional electrocatalytic material CuNi2S4 is grown on TiO2 NTs in the shape of nanosheets (NSs) in situ by solvothermal method. As a bi-functional electrocatalytic material, CuNi2S4 has good visible light absorption property as well as OER catalytic activity. Compared with TiO2, the IPCE value of TiO2/CuNi2S4 is 2.59% at 635 nm, and that of TiO2 is a mere 0.002%. The separation efficiency and injection efficiency increase from 2.49% and 31.52% to 3.61% and 87.77%, respectively. At 1.23 V vs. RHE, the maximum photocurrent density is 0.26 mA/cm2, which is 2.6 times than that of TiO2 (0.11 mA/cm2), and can be maintained at 0.25 mA/cm2 for at least 2 h under light illumination. Moreover, a hydrogen production rate of 4.21 μ mol· cm-2·h-1 is achieved within 2 h. This work provides a new idea for the application of TiO2 in the field of PEC water splitting and the construction of efficient and stable photoelectronic devices.

关键词: TiO2, CuNi2S4, high stability, photoelectrochemical properties

Abstract: As a traditional n-type semiconductor, TiO2 has good UV absorption ability and stable physical and chemical properties. However, its wide band gap and low oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity limit its application in the field of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this work, a type-II TiO2/CuNi2S4 heterojunction photoanode is successfully constructed, which expanded the light absorption range to visible and enhanced the OER activity. Firstly, TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) thin films are prepared on Ti substrates by two-step anodization, and then the bi-functional electrocatalytic material CuNi2S4 is grown on TiO2 NTs in the shape of nanosheets (NSs) in situ by solvothermal method. As a bi-functional electrocatalytic material, CuNi2S4 has good visible light absorption property as well as OER catalytic activity. Compared with TiO2, the IPCE value of TiO2/CuNi2S4 is 2.59% at 635 nm, and that of TiO2 is a mere 0.002%. The separation efficiency and injection efficiency increase from 2.49% and 31.52% to 3.61% and 87.77%, respectively. At 1.23 V vs. RHE, the maximum photocurrent density is 0.26 mA/cm2, which is 2.6 times than that of TiO2 (0.11 mA/cm2), and can be maintained at 0.25 mA/cm2 for at least 2 h under light illumination. Moreover, a hydrogen production rate of 4.21 μ mol· cm-2·h-1 is achieved within 2 h. This work provides a new idea for the application of TiO2 in the field of PEC water splitting and the construction of efficient and stable photoelectronic devices.

Key words: TiO2, CuNi2S4, high stability, photoelectrochemical properties

中图分类号:  (Photoelectrochemical cells, photoelectrochromic and other hybrid electrochemical energy storage devices)

  • 82.47.Jk
81.07.-b (Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization) 85.35.Kt (Nanotube devices)