n-ZrS${}_3$/p-ZrOS photoanodes with NiOOH/FeOOH oxygen evolution catalysts for photoelectrochemical water oxidation

Photoelectrochemical water splitting offers a promising approach for carbon neutrality, but its commercial prospects are still hampered by a lack of efficient and stable photoelectrodes with earth-abundant materials. Here, we report a strategy to construct an efficient photoanode with a coaxial nanobelt structure, comprising a buried-ZrS${}_3$/ZrOS n - p junction, for photoelectrochemical water splitting. The p-type ZrOS layer, formed on the surface of the n-type ZrS${}_3$ nanobelt through a pulsed-ozone-treatment method, acts as a hole collection layer for hole extraction and a protective layer to shield the photoanode from photocorrosion. The resulting ZrS${}_3$/ZrOS photoanode exhibits light harvesting with good photo-to-current efficiencies across the whole visible region to over 650 nm. By further employing NiOOH/FeOOH as the oxygen evolution reaction cocatalyst, the ZrS${}_3$/ZrOS/NiOOH/FeOOH photoanode yields a photocurrent density of ~9.3 mA cm${}^{-2}$ at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode with an applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of ~3.2 % under simulated sunlight irradiation in an alkaline solution (pH=13.6). The conformal ZrOS layer enables ZrS${}_3$/ZrOS/NiOOH/FeOOH photoanode operation over 1000 hours in an alkaline solution without obvious performance degradation. This study, offering a promising approach to fabricate efficient and durable photoelectrodes with earth-abundant materials, advances the frontiers of photoelectrochemical water splitting. (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH)