Water Splitting with Enhanced Efficiency Using a Nickel-Based Co-Catalyst at a Cupric Oxide Photocathode

Homemade non-critical raw materials such as Ni or NiCu co-catalysts were added at the photocathode of a tandem cell, constituted by photoelectrodes made of earth-abundant materials, to generate green solar hydrogen from photoelectrochemical water splitting. Oxygen evolving at the Ti-and-P-doped hema...

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Autores principales:	Carmelo Lo Vecchio, Stefano Trocino, Giosuè Giacoppo, Orazio Barbera, Vincenzo Baglio, María I. Díez-García, Maxime Contreras, Roberto Gómez, Antonino Salvatore Aricò
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	MDPI AG 2021
Materias:	low-cost semiconductors tandem cell cupric oxide photocathode solar to hydrogen efficiency photoelectrochemical cell Ni-based co-catalysts Chemical technology TP1-1185 Chemistry QD1-999
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/6435050a0afc4cdf8a8411001847c1b3
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:6435050a0afc4cdf8a8411001847c1b32021-11-25T17:06:22ZWater Splitting with Enhanced Efficiency Using a Nickel-Based Co-Catalyst at a Cupric Oxide Photocathode10.3390/catal111113632073-4344https://doaj.org/article/6435050a0afc4cdf8a8411001847c1b32021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/11/11/1363https://doaj.org/toc/2073-4344Homemade non-critical raw materials such as Ni or NiCu co-catalysts were added at the photocathode of a tandem cell, constituted by photoelectrodes made of earth-abundant materials, to generate green solar hydrogen from photoelectrochemical water splitting. Oxygen evolving at the Ti-and-P-doped hematite/TCO-based photoanode and hydrogen at the cupric oxide/GDL-based photocathode are separated by an anion exchange polymer electrolyte membrane placed between them. The effect of the aforementioned co-catalysts was studied in a complete PEC cell in the presence of the ionomer dispersion and the anionic membrane to evaluate their impact under practical conditions. Notably, different amounts of Ni or NiCu co-catalysts were used to improve the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics and the overall solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of the photoelectrochemical cells. At −0.6 V, in the bias-assisted region, the photocurrent density reaches about 2 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> for a cell with 12 µg cm<sup>−2</sup> of Ni loading, followed by 1.75 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> for the cell configuration based on 8 µg cm<sup>−2</sup> of NiCu. For the best-performing cell, enthalpy efficiency at −0.4 V reaches a first maximum value of 2.03%. In contrast, the throughput efficiency, which is a ratio between the power output and the total power input (solar + electric) provided by an external source, calculated at −1.225 V, reaches a maximum of 10.75%. This value is approximately three times higher than the best results obtained in our previous studies without the use of co-catalysts at the photocathode.Carmelo Lo VecchioStefano TrocinoGiosuè GiacoppoOrazio BarberaVincenzo BaglioMaría I. Díez-GarcíaMaxime ContrerasRoberto GómezAntonino Salvatore AricòMDPI AGarticlelow-cost semiconductorstandem cellcupric oxide photocathodesolar to hydrogen efficiencyphotoelectrochemical cellNi-based co-catalystsChemical technologyTP1-1185ChemistryQD1-999ENCatalysts, Vol 11, Iss 1363, p 1363 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	low-cost semiconductors tandem cell cupric oxide photocathode solar to hydrogen efficiency photoelectrochemical cell Ni-based co-catalysts Chemical technology TP1-1185 Chemistry QD1-999
spellingShingle	low-cost semiconductors tandem cell cupric oxide photocathode solar to hydrogen efficiency photoelectrochemical cell Ni-based co-catalysts Chemical technology TP1-1185 Chemistry QD1-999 Carmelo Lo Vecchio Stefano Trocino Giosuè Giacoppo Orazio Barbera Vincenzo Baglio María I. Díez-García Maxime Contreras Roberto Gómez Antonino Salvatore Aricò Water Splitting with Enhanced Efficiency Using a Nickel-Based Co-Catalyst at a Cupric Oxide Photocathode
description	Homemade non-critical raw materials such as Ni or NiCu co-catalysts were added at the photocathode of a tandem cell, constituted by photoelectrodes made of earth-abundant materials, to generate green solar hydrogen from photoelectrochemical water splitting. Oxygen evolving at the Ti-and-P-doped hematite/TCO-based photoanode and hydrogen at the cupric oxide/GDL-based photocathode are separated by an anion exchange polymer electrolyte membrane placed between them. The effect of the aforementioned co-catalysts was studied in a complete PEC cell in the presence of the ionomer dispersion and the anionic membrane to evaluate their impact under practical conditions. Notably, different amounts of Ni or NiCu co-catalysts were used to improve the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics and the overall solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of the photoelectrochemical cells. At −0.6 V, in the bias-assisted region, the photocurrent density reaches about 2 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> for a cell with 12 µg cm<sup>−2</sup> of Ni loading, followed by 1.75 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> for the cell configuration based on 8 µg cm<sup>−2</sup> of NiCu. For the best-performing cell, enthalpy efficiency at −0.4 V reaches a first maximum value of 2.03%. In contrast, the throughput efficiency, which is a ratio between the power output and the total power input (solar + electric) provided by an external source, calculated at −1.225 V, reaches a maximum of 10.75%. This value is approximately three times higher than the best results obtained in our previous studies without the use of co-catalysts at the photocathode.
format	article
author	Carmelo Lo Vecchio Stefano Trocino Giosuè Giacoppo Orazio Barbera Vincenzo Baglio María I. Díez-García Maxime Contreras Roberto Gómez Antonino Salvatore Aricò
author_facet	Carmelo Lo Vecchio Stefano Trocino Giosuè Giacoppo Orazio Barbera Vincenzo Baglio María I. Díez-García Maxime Contreras Roberto Gómez Antonino Salvatore Aricò
author_sort	Carmelo Lo Vecchio
title	Water Splitting with Enhanced Efficiency Using a Nickel-Based Co-Catalyst at a Cupric Oxide Photocathode
title_short	Water Splitting with Enhanced Efficiency Using a Nickel-Based Co-Catalyst at a Cupric Oxide Photocathode
title_full	Water Splitting with Enhanced Efficiency Using a Nickel-Based Co-Catalyst at a Cupric Oxide Photocathode
title_fullStr	Water Splitting with Enhanced Efficiency Using a Nickel-Based Co-Catalyst at a Cupric Oxide Photocathode
title_full_unstemmed	Water Splitting with Enhanced Efficiency Using a Nickel-Based Co-Catalyst at a Cupric Oxide Photocathode
title_sort	water splitting with enhanced efficiency using a nickel-based co-catalyst at a cupric oxide photocathode
publisher	MDPI AG
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/6435050a0afc4cdf8a8411001847c1b3
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Water Splitting with Enhanced Efficiency Using a Nickel-Based Co-Catalyst at a Cupric Oxide Photocathode

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