Single atom Cu-O2N bridge between BiVO4 and COFs toward photoelectrochemical seawater splitting
(
), Yang Tian()Graphical Abstract
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has great potential for solar energy conversion to hydrogen. However, the slow charge transfer in the photoanodes remains a core issue limiting the PEC performance. In this study, we address this issue by constructing a single-atom bridge (SAB) Cu-O2N at the interface between BiVO4 and covalent organic framework (COF) layer. X-ray absorption fine spectra and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the single-atom bridge is formed by the interfacial coordination reconstruction between BiVO4 and COF layers and create intermediate electronic states to facilitate the hole extraction. As a result, the SAB photoanode exhibits enhanced PEC water oxidation performance. Specifically, it achieves a photocurrent density of 4.84 mA·cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in PEC simulant seawater splitting with a cocatalyst, higher than nearly all the previously reported BiVO4-based photoanodes. This work offers valuable insights into fast charge transfer in PEC systems and proposes a promising strategy for designing efficient photoelectrodes for seawater splitting.
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References
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