Photodegradation of CuBi 2 O 4 Films Evidenced by Fast Formation of Metallic Bi using Operando Surface‐sensitive X‐ray Scattering

CuBi 2 O 4 has recently emerged as a promising photocathode for photo‐electrochemical (PEC) water splitting. However, its fast degradation under operation currently poses a limit to its application. Here, we report a novel method to study operando the semiconductor‐electrolyte interface during PEC o...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Angewandte Chemie 2023-10, Vol.135 (43)
Main Authors: Derelli, Davide, Caddeo, Francesco, Frank, Kilian, Krötzsch, Kilian, Ewerhardt, Patrick, Krüger, Marco, Medicus, Sophie, Klemeyer, Lars, Skiba, Marvin, Ruhmlieb, Charlotte, Gutowski, Olof, Dippel, Ann‐Christin, Parak, Wolfgang J., Nickel, Bert, Koziej, Dorota
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:CuBi 2 O 4 has recently emerged as a promising photocathode for photo‐electrochemical (PEC) water splitting. However, its fast degradation under operation currently poses a limit to its application. Here, we report a novel method to study operando the semiconductor‐electrolyte interface during PEC operation by surface‐sensitive high‐energy X‐ray scattering. We find that a fast decrease in the generated photocurrents correlates directly with the formation of a metallic Bi phase. We further show that the slower formation of metallic Cu, as well as the dissolution of the electrode in contact with the electrolyte, further affect the CuBi 2 O 4 activity and morphology. Our study provides a comprehensive picture of the degradation mechanisms affecting CuBi 2 O 4 electrodes under operation and poses the methodological basis to investigate the photocorrosion processes affecting a wide range of PEC materials.
ISSN:0044-8249
1521-3757
DOI:10.1002/ange.202307948