Elucidating Photoelectrochemical Corrosion at III-V Semiconductor/Electrolyte Interfaces Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

Abstract

As the energy transition matures and society looks to mitigate the negative impact of hard-to-decarbonize sectors, the production of green sustainable fuels becomes increasingly important. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting offers a path towards direct solar-to-hydrogen conversion through its integrated all-in-one design. However, practical device efficiency goals (>20%) necessitate the use of high efficiency III-V semiconductor materials that are unstable in aqueous electrolyte. The rapid degradation of these materials in aqueous media limits their utility to short-lifetime lab-scale devices. Some of the highest efficiency PEC devices to date employ GaInP in the photocathode to drive the hydrogen evolution reaction despite its limited stability. Protective coatings and catalyst layers improve the stability of GaInP photocathodes, but much remains unknown about the exact degradation mechanisms. Here, we use electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis to gain insight into the processes underpinning the degradation of GaInP-based photocathodes in PEC devices.The EIS technique can monitor charge transfer resistance investigation in PEC devices, but it has had suspect utility for III-V photocathode degradation studies due to rapid material corrosion and slow measurement times. However, the emerging technique of rapid, hybrid EIS measurements provides immense value as a non-destructive and frequency-dependent probe which distinguishes physical processes by their time constants with high resolution. The DRT analysis deconvolutes features of an impedance spectrum without requiring a priori knowledge of the physical processes that contribute to the observed response and ensures unbiased assessment of the data. In this work, we test the effects of Pt nanoparticulate catalyst loading and illumination level on the device impedance and correlate the results to semiconductor corrosion. By varying the cell operating conditions, we perform a robust assignment of the impedance response to physical phenomena. EIS corrosion studies can be complemented by chemical (ICP-MS) and microscopic (optical interferometry) techniques to enhance their correlation. The impedance and material dissolution data provide a better understanding of III-V semiconductor photocorrosion mechanisms.