Applied Surface Science, Vol.471, 528-536, 2019
Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance and stability of Si nanowire photocathode with deposition of hematite and carbon
Tremendous efforts have been dedicated to the development of transition metal and/or metal oxide surface coaling materials to enhance the activity and stability of photoelectrodes. Nanostructured Si photoelectrodes have shown outstanding photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance due to their effective photon absorption and charge generation, separation, and mobility. While the chemical stability and surface reaction efficiency of Si photoelectrodes still need improvement before commercial application. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a composite Si photoelectrode with a configuration of C/alpha-Fe2O3/Si nanowires, which presented a stable photoelectrochemical hydrogen production in neutral electrolyte. The p-Si nanowires were prepared by metal-assisted chemical etching for enhanced optical absorption and decorated with a mesoporous alpha-Fe2O3 thin film (similar to 80 nm) through pyrolysis of ferrocene. A thin carbon passivation layer (similar to 20 nm) was further deposited through ion sputtering further increasing the stability of the composite structure and low bias photocurrent. The role of alpha-Fe2O3 and carbon layer have been discussed. The composite photoelectrode shows a stable photo-current of similar to -27 mA/cm(2) in 2 h and an anodic onset potential shift of similar to 0.33 V relative to the bare Si in the neutral solution.