Recently, solar fuels research, which focuses on the utilization of solar energy to drive thermodynamically uphill chemical reactions to produce fuels, has received significant attention and has made rapid progress.  Many efforts have been made to find appropriate materials and systems that can utilize solar energy to produce chemical fuels.  One of the most viable options is the construction of a photoelectrochemical cell that can reduce water to H2 or CO2 to carbon-based molecules.  Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4), which is an n-type semiconductor, has been investigated as one of the most promising photoanode materials for use as a photoanode that oxidizes water to O2 in these cells.  Various synthesis methods and approaches have been developed for the construction of efficient BiVO4-based photoanode systems.  In this presentation, we report various electrochemical synthesis methods that can produce BiVO4 photoanodes exhibiting outstanding performances in the low bias region (i.e., E < 0.6 V vs. RHE), which is critical in achieving a high solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency.  Multiple strategies to further enhance the photoelectrochemical performances of BiVO4 photoanodes will be discussed.

Bismuth vanadate photoanodes for use in solar energy conversion

246th National Meeting (2013)

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