Parallel multi-stacked photoanodes of Sb-doped p–n homojunction hematite with near-theoretical solar conversion efficiency

Abstract Developing transparent and efficient photoanodes is a challenging but essential task in tandem photoelectrochemical cell for unassisted solar water splitting without an external bias. Here we report construction of p–n homojunction hematite photoanodes by hybrid microwave annealing-induced...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chenyang Xu, Hongxin Wang, Hongying Guo, Ke Liang, Yuanming Zhang, Weicong Li, Junze Chen, Jae Sung Lee, Hemin Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53967-y
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Summary:Abstract Developing transparent and efficient photoanodes is a challenging but essential task in tandem photoelectrochemical cell for unassisted solar water splitting without an external bias. Here we report construction of p–n homojunction hematite photoanodes by hybrid microwave annealing-induced single antimony doping, which results in the gradually-increased valence states from the surface to the inside by the unique features of hybrid microwave annealing. The Sb-doped p–n homojunction hematite photoanode exhibits improved performance and displays a good transparency, achieving a stable photocurrent density of ~4.21 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE under 100 mW cm−2 solar irradiation, which is comparable to the reported state-of-the-art hematite photoanodes. More importantly, a parallel-connected stack of six photoanodes of transparent p–n homojunction records a near-theoretical photocurrent density of ~10 mA cm–2 at 1.23 VRHE under standard photoelectrochemical water splitting conditions, which serves as a useful reference for hematite photoanodes and promises its practical application for unbiased photoelectrochemical water splitting.
ISSN:2041-1723