Oxynitrides enabled photoelectrochemical water splitting with over 3,000 hrs stable operation in practical two-electrode configuration
Abstract Solar photoelectrochemical reactions have been considered one of the most promising paths for sustainable energy production. To date, however, there has been no demonstration of semiconductor photoelectrodes with long-term stable operation in a two-electrode configuration, which is required...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37754-9 |
| _version_ | 1797845889672282112 |
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| author | Yixin Xiao Xianghua Kong Srinivas Vanka Wan Jae Dong Guosong Zeng Zhengwei Ye Kai Sun Ishtiaque Ahmed Navid Baowen Zhou Francesca M. Toma Hong Guo Zetian Mi |
| author_facet | Yixin Xiao Xianghua Kong Srinivas Vanka Wan Jae Dong Guosong Zeng Zhengwei Ye Kai Sun Ishtiaque Ahmed Navid Baowen Zhou Francesca M. Toma Hong Guo Zetian Mi |
| author_sort | Yixin Xiao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Solar photoelectrochemical reactions have been considered one of the most promising paths for sustainable energy production. To date, however, there has been no demonstration of semiconductor photoelectrodes with long-term stable operation in a two-electrode configuration, which is required for any practical application. Herein, we demonstrate the stable operation of a photocathode comprising Si and GaN, the two most produced semiconductors in the world, for 3,000 hrs without any performance degradation in two-electrode configurations. Measurements in both three- and two-electrode configurations suggest that surfaces of the GaN nanowires on Si photocathode transform in situ into Ga-O-N that drastically enhances hydrogen evolution and remains stable for 3,000 hrs. First principles calculations further revealed that the in-situ Ga-O-N species exhibit atomic-scale surface metallization. This study overcomes the conventional dilemma between efficiency and stability imposed by extrinsic cocatalysts, offering a path for practical application of photoelectrochemical devices and systems for clean energy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:46:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-96623d46ccbb4d18b923e52e11a5b6b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:46:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-96623d46ccbb4d18b923e52e11a5b6b42023-04-16T11:18:04ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-04-0114111010.1038/s41467-023-37754-9Oxynitrides enabled photoelectrochemical water splitting with over 3,000 hrs stable operation in practical two-electrode configurationYixin Xiao0Xianghua Kong1Srinivas Vanka2Wan Jae Dong3Guosong Zeng4Zhengwei Ye5Kai Sun6Ishtiaque Ahmed Navid7Baowen Zhou8Francesca M. Toma9Hong Guo10Zetian Mi11Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of MichiganDepartment of Physics, McGill UniversityDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of MichiganDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of MichiganLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Chemical Sciences DivisionDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of MichiganDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of MichiganDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of MichiganDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of MichiganLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Chemical Sciences DivisionDepartment of Physics, McGill UniversityDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of MichiganAbstract Solar photoelectrochemical reactions have been considered one of the most promising paths for sustainable energy production. To date, however, there has been no demonstration of semiconductor photoelectrodes with long-term stable operation in a two-electrode configuration, which is required for any practical application. Herein, we demonstrate the stable operation of a photocathode comprising Si and GaN, the two most produced semiconductors in the world, for 3,000 hrs without any performance degradation in two-electrode configurations. Measurements in both three- and two-electrode configurations suggest that surfaces of the GaN nanowires on Si photocathode transform in situ into Ga-O-N that drastically enhances hydrogen evolution and remains stable for 3,000 hrs. First principles calculations further revealed that the in-situ Ga-O-N species exhibit atomic-scale surface metallization. This study overcomes the conventional dilemma between efficiency and stability imposed by extrinsic cocatalysts, offering a path for practical application of photoelectrochemical devices and systems for clean energy.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37754-9 |
| spellingShingle | Yixin Xiao Xianghua Kong Srinivas Vanka Wan Jae Dong Guosong Zeng Zhengwei Ye Kai Sun Ishtiaque Ahmed Navid Baowen Zhou Francesca M. Toma Hong Guo Zetian Mi Oxynitrides enabled photoelectrochemical water splitting with over 3,000 hrs stable operation in practical two-electrode configuration Nature Communications |
| title | Oxynitrides enabled photoelectrochemical water splitting with over 3,000 hrs stable operation in practical two-electrode configuration |
| title_full | Oxynitrides enabled photoelectrochemical water splitting with over 3,000 hrs stable operation in practical two-electrode configuration |
| title_fullStr | Oxynitrides enabled photoelectrochemical water splitting with over 3,000 hrs stable operation in practical two-electrode configuration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oxynitrides enabled photoelectrochemical water splitting with over 3,000 hrs stable operation in practical two-electrode configuration |
| title_short | Oxynitrides enabled photoelectrochemical water splitting with over 3,000 hrs stable operation in practical two-electrode configuration |
| title_sort | oxynitrides enabled photoelectrochemical water splitting with over 3 000 hrs stable operation in practical two electrode configuration |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37754-9 |
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