Abstract
The restricted performance of α-Fe2O3 in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is currently constrained by the slow kinetics of water oxidation and the rapid charge recombination. Herein, we prepared a composite photoanode with molecular copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) as the hole transport layer and citric acid assisted FeCo(OH)x as the cocatalyst using a simple two-step method. The optimized Ti-Fe2O3/CuPc/citrate-FeCo(OH)x photoanode achieved an photocurrent density of 2.67 mA/cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE, which is 6.5 times higher than pure Ti-Fe2O3 and can maintain long-term stability. Detailed studies have shown that CuPc and Ti-Fe2O3 can form an interface electric field for hole oriented transport, significantly improving the transfer of photogenerated carriers. The FeCo(OH)x coating assisted by citric acid deposition not only forms a conformal coating, but also acts as a bifunctional layer to quickly transfer holes from Ti-Fe2O3/CuPc to the electrolyte. It also significantly increases the reactive active sites and hydrophilicity of Ti-Fe2O3/CuPc, which further accelerates the water oxidation kinetics. This study provides a promising strategy for the development of an efficient and cost-effective photoanode and extends the design concept of a PEC water splitting device.
Published Version
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