Crystallographic Effects of GaN Nanostructures in Photoelectrochemical Reaction

Tuning the surface structure of the photoelectrode provides one of the most effective ways to address the critical challenges in artificial photosynthesis, such as efficiency, stability, and product selectivity, for which gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires have shown great promise. In the GaN wurtzite...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nano letters 2022-03, Vol.22 (6)
Main Authors: Xiao, Yixin, Vanka, Srinivas, Pham, Tuan Anh, Dong, Wan Jae, Sun, Yi, Liu, Xianhe, Navid, Ishtiaque Ahmed, Varley, Joel B., Hajibabaei, Hamed, Hamann, Thomas W., Ogitsu, Tadashi, Mi, Zetian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
artificial photosynthesis
electrical conductivity
electrolytes
GaN
MATERIALS SCIENCE
nanowire
nitrides
oxygen
photoelectrode
photonics
surface polarity
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Summary:Tuning the surface structure of the photoelectrode provides one of the most effective ways to address the critical challenges in artificial photosynthesis, such as efficiency, stability, and product selectivity, for which gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires have shown great promise. In the GaN wurtzite crystal structure, polar, semipolar, and nonpolar planes coexist and exhibit very different structural, electronic, and chemical properties. Here, through a comprehensive study of the photoelectrochemical performance of GaN photocathodes in the form of films and nanowires with controlled surface polarities we show that significant photoelectrochemical activity can be observed when the nonpolar surfaces are exposed in the electrolyte, whereas little or no activity is measured from the GaN polar c-plane surfaces. The atomic origin of this fundamental difference is further revealed through density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, this study provides guideline on crystal facet engineering of metal-nitride photo(electro)catalysts for a broad range of artificial photosynthesis chemical reactions.
ISSN:1530-6984
1530-6992