Publication date: 15th December 2014
The developments of powdered photocatalysts and semiconductor photoelectrodes for water splitting have been studied extensively in order to utilize solar energy.BiVO4 shows high photocatalytic activity for O2 evolution from an aqueous AgNO3 solution under visible light irradiation. BiVO4 has three crystal systems: scheelite structure with monoclinic (s-m) and tetragonal (s-t) phases, and zircon structure with tetragonal (z-t) phase Among them, the s-m phase BiVO4 shows the highest photocatalytic activity for O2 evolution. Although BiVO4 powdered photocatalyst is inactive for overall water splitting, BiVO4 electrode can split water under visible light irradiation by fabrication a photo- electrochemical cell.In the present study, we simply prepared a BiVO4 thin film coated on FTO electrode using a MW-assisted Chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. Photoelectrochemical property of the obtained BiVO4 thin film electrode was examined.
BiVO4 thin film electrode was prepared from a nitric acid solution containing Bi(NO3)3 and NH4VO3 by MW irradiation for several minutes. Photoelectrochemical measurements were carried out using a three-component cell consisting of the working, a Ag/AgCl reference, and a Pt counter electrodes in a phosphate buffer solution. Photoelectrochemical overall water splitting was carried out using a two-component cell. The amounts of evolved gases were determined with gas chromatography (Ar carrier, TCD). The light source was a solar simulator.
All samples prepared at different times for MW irradiation showed diffraction patterns of BiVO4 with zircon structure with a tetragonal phase BiVO4 (z-t) and/or scheelite structure with a monoclinic phase BiVO4 (s-m). The obtained crystal phase and the morphology of BiVO4 can be controlled by changing the MW irradiation time. Effects of MW irradiation time on photoelectrochemical properties of BiVO4 electrode were examined. All samples of BiVO4 electrodes gave anodic photocurrents under simulated sunlight irradiation. The z-t and s-m laminated electrode showed the largest anodic photocurrent. Photoelectrochemical water splitting was also examined using a solar simulator (AM1.5) with applying an external bias smaller than 1.23 V that was a theoretical voltage required for electrolysis of water in order to see if the present photoelectrochemical cell consisting of BiVO4 and Pt electrodes works for solar energy conversion. H2 and O2 evolved in a stoichiometric ratio from Pt and BiVO4 electrodes, respectively. The amounts of H2 and O2 evolved were similar to the half and quarter of the amount of electron passing through the outer circuit, respectively. It proved that the photocurrent was due to water splitting.
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