Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Zhang, Li
• Chen, Wanjun
• Cheng, Long
• Jiang, Lingjie
• Deng, Xiaomei
• Yan, Jianhui
• Yang, Haihua

Titel

Integration of Fe3O4 nanospheres and micropyramidal textured silicon wafer with improved photoelectrochemical performance

Ist Teil von

• Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics, 2021-02, Vol.32 (4), p.5176-5185

Ort / Verlag

New York: Springer US

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Quelle

Springer Online Journals【Remote access available】

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Silicon (Si)-based composites have attracted extensive attention for photoelectrochemical (PEC) application. Herein, micropyramidal textured Si wafer was constructed by wet chemical etching method. Hydrothermally synthesized Fe 3 O 4 nanospheres were further deposited on the micropyramids by a simple dip-coating approach. The integrated Fe 3 O 4 nanospheres and Si micropyramids (denoted as Fe 3 O 4 @SiMPs) revealed 20 times of higher PEC efficiency than planar Si wafer, without obvious photocurrent decay and crystalline structure change during chronoamperometry test. The greatly enhanced PEC performance of Fe 3 O 4 @SiMPs is largely attributed to the seamless integration of Si micropyramids and Fe 3 O 4 nanospheres. The micropyramidal textured structure can enhance light absorption by reducing the surface reflectance and enhancing the light trapping effect. The micropyramids and Fe 3 O 4 nanospheres on the surface of planar Si wafer offer more specific surface area for the contact of electrode with electrolyte. The Fe 3 O 4 nanospheres not only protect the micropyramids from corrosion, but also accelerate the PEC kinetics by promoting charge transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte. This study can inspire the optimal design of Si wafer-based nanocomposites as efficient PEC catalysts for overall water splitting.