TY - JOUR
T1 - Thin-Film Materials for the Protection of Semiconducting Photoelectrodes in Solar-Fuel Generators
AU - Hu, Shu
AU - Lewis, Nathan S.
AU - Ager, Joel W.
AU - Yang, Jinhui
AU - McKone, James R.
AU - Strandwitz, Nicholas C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 American Chemical Society.
Copyright:
Copyright 2015 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2015/10/29
Y1 - 2015/10/29
N2 - The electrochemical instability of semiconductors in aqueous electrolytes has impeded the development of robust sunlight-driven water-splitting systems. We review the use of protective thin films to improve the electrochemical stability of otherwise unstable semiconductor photoelectrodes (e.g., Si and GaAs). We first discuss the origins of instability and various strategies for achieving stable and functional photoelectrosynthetic interfaces. We then focus specifically on the use of thin protective films on photoanodes and photocathodes for photosynthetic reactions that include oxygen evolution, halide oxidation, and hydrogen evolution. Finally, we provide an outlook for the future development of thin-layer protection strategies to enable semiconductor-based solar-driven fuel production.
AB - The electrochemical instability of semiconductors in aqueous electrolytes has impeded the development of robust sunlight-driven water-splitting systems. We review the use of protective thin films to improve the electrochemical stability of otherwise unstable semiconductor photoelectrodes (e.g., Si and GaAs). We first discuss the origins of instability and various strategies for achieving stable and functional photoelectrosynthetic interfaces. We then focus specifically on the use of thin protective films on photoanodes and photocathodes for photosynthetic reactions that include oxygen evolution, halide oxidation, and hydrogen evolution. Finally, we provide an outlook for the future development of thin-layer protection strategies to enable semiconductor-based solar-driven fuel production.
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U2 - 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b05976
DO - 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b05976
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:84946105911
VL - 119
SP - 24201
EP - 24228
JO - Journal of Physical Chemistry C
JF - Journal of Physical Chemistry C
SN - 1932-7447
IS - 43
ER -