Enhanced solar hydrogen production via reconfigured semi-polar facet/cocatalyst heterointerfaces in GaN/Si photocathodes
Abstract The development of an efficient and durable photoelectrode is critical for achieving large-scale applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here, we report a unique photoelectrode composed of reconfigured gallium nitride nanowire-on-silicon wafer loaded with Au nanoparticles as c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55743-4 |
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| author | Wei Chen Danhao Wang Weiyi Wang Xin Liu Yuying Liu Chao Wang Yang Kang Shi Fang Xudong Yang Wengang Gu Dongyang Luo Yuanmin Luo Zongtao Qu Chengjie Zuo Yi Kang Lin Cheng Wensheng Yan Wei Hu Ran Long Jr-Hau He Kang Liang Sheng Liu Yujie Xiong Haiding Sun |
| author_facet | Wei Chen Danhao Wang Weiyi Wang Xin Liu Yuying Liu Chao Wang Yang Kang Shi Fang Xudong Yang Wengang Gu Dongyang Luo Yuanmin Luo Zongtao Qu Chengjie Zuo Yi Kang Lin Cheng Wensheng Yan Wei Hu Ran Long Jr-Hau He Kang Liang Sheng Liu Yujie Xiong Haiding Sun |
| author_sort | Wei Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The development of an efficient and durable photoelectrode is critical for achieving large-scale applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here, we report a unique photoelectrode composed of reconfigured gallium nitride nanowire-on-silicon wafer loaded with Au nanoparticles as cocatalyst that achieved an impressive applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 10.36% under AM 1.5G one sun illumination while exhibiting stable PEC hydrogen evolution over 800 h at a high current density. Specifically, by tailoring the GaN nanowires via a simple alkaline-etching step to expose the inner (10 $$\bar{1}\bar{1}$$ 1 ¯ 1 ¯ ) facets, we achieve a highly coupled semiconductor nanowire-cocatalyst heterointerface with strong electron interaction. The strongly coupled reconfigured GaN nanowire/Au heterointerface not only optimizes the electronic structure of Au nanoparticles to form abundant highly active interfacial regions, eventually realizing superior hydrogen evolution activity but also enables GaN nanowires to provide a stronger anchoring effect for Au nanoparticles, preventing the detachment of Au nanoparticles during the intense hydrogen evolution process. The proposed photoelectrode offers a feasible structure for overcoming the efficiency-reliability bottleneck of PEC devices for producing clean hydrogen fuel. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f0cb37dc40fd445fa1cff47a6ac4eede |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-f0cb37dc40fd445fa1cff47a6ac4eede2025-01-26T12:41:08ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111410.1038/s41467-024-55743-4Enhanced solar hydrogen production via reconfigured semi-polar facet/cocatalyst heterointerfaces in GaN/Si photocathodesWei Chen0Danhao Wang1Weiyi Wang2Xin Liu3Yuying Liu4Chao Wang5Yang Kang6Shi Fang7Xudong Yang8Wengang Gu9Dongyang Luo10Yuanmin Luo11Zongtao Qu12Chengjie Zuo13Yi Kang14Lin Cheng15Wensheng Yan16Wei Hu17Ran Long18Jr-Hau He19Kang Liang20Sheng Liu21Yujie Xiong22Haiding Sun23iGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei National Research Center or Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaNational Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of ChinaNational Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaSolarever Tecnología de América S.A. de C.ViGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaNational Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei National Research Center or Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaNational Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of ChinaDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong KongThe Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan UniversityThe Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan UniversityHefei National Research Center or Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaiGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaAbstract The development of an efficient and durable photoelectrode is critical for achieving large-scale applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here, we report a unique photoelectrode composed of reconfigured gallium nitride nanowire-on-silicon wafer loaded with Au nanoparticles as cocatalyst that achieved an impressive applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 10.36% under AM 1.5G one sun illumination while exhibiting stable PEC hydrogen evolution over 800 h at a high current density. Specifically, by tailoring the GaN nanowires via a simple alkaline-etching step to expose the inner (10 $$\bar{1}\bar{1}$$ 1 ¯ 1 ¯ ) facets, we achieve a highly coupled semiconductor nanowire-cocatalyst heterointerface with strong electron interaction. The strongly coupled reconfigured GaN nanowire/Au heterointerface not only optimizes the electronic structure of Au nanoparticles to form abundant highly active interfacial regions, eventually realizing superior hydrogen evolution activity but also enables GaN nanowires to provide a stronger anchoring effect for Au nanoparticles, preventing the detachment of Au nanoparticles during the intense hydrogen evolution process. The proposed photoelectrode offers a feasible structure for overcoming the efficiency-reliability bottleneck of PEC devices for producing clean hydrogen fuel.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55743-4 |
| spellingShingle | Wei Chen Danhao Wang Weiyi Wang Xin Liu Yuying Liu Chao Wang Yang Kang Shi Fang Xudong Yang Wengang Gu Dongyang Luo Yuanmin Luo Zongtao Qu Chengjie Zuo Yi Kang Lin Cheng Wensheng Yan Wei Hu Ran Long Jr-Hau He Kang Liang Sheng Liu Yujie Xiong Haiding Sun Enhanced solar hydrogen production via reconfigured semi-polar facet/cocatalyst heterointerfaces in GaN/Si photocathodes Nature Communications |
| title | Enhanced solar hydrogen production via reconfigured semi-polar facet/cocatalyst heterointerfaces in GaN/Si photocathodes |
| title_full | Enhanced solar hydrogen production via reconfigured semi-polar facet/cocatalyst heterointerfaces in GaN/Si photocathodes |
| title_fullStr | Enhanced solar hydrogen production via reconfigured semi-polar facet/cocatalyst heterointerfaces in GaN/Si photocathodes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhanced solar hydrogen production via reconfigured semi-polar facet/cocatalyst heterointerfaces in GaN/Si photocathodes |
| title_short | Enhanced solar hydrogen production via reconfigured semi-polar facet/cocatalyst heterointerfaces in GaN/Si photocathodes |
| title_sort | enhanced solar hydrogen production via reconfigured semi polar facet cocatalyst heterointerfaces in gan si photocathodes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55743-4 |
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