Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance in BiFeO3/g-C3N4 p–n heterojunction photocathodes with ferroelectric polarization

Ferroelectric has been considered as a promising material in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting area. Here, we design the hybrid ferroelectric–semiconductor heterostructure photocathode for enhanced PEC performance; BiFeO3 (BFO) is used for ferroelectric while two dimensional material g-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied physics 2020-10, Vol.128 (15)
Main Authors: Wang, Shun, Nan, Feng, Zhou, Yang, Zheng, Fengang, Weng, Yuyan, You, Lu, Fang, Liang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied physics
Bismuth ferrite
Carbon nitride
Current carriers
Ferroelectric materials
Ferroelectricity
Heterojunctions
Heterostructures
P-n junctions
Photocathodes
Photoelectric effect
Photoelectric emission
Polarization
Two dimensional materials
Water splitting
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Summary:Ferroelectric has been considered as a promising material in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting area. Here, we design the hybrid ferroelectric–semiconductor heterostructure photocathode for enhanced PEC performance; BiFeO3 (BFO) is used for ferroelectric while two dimensional material g-C3N4 for the semiconductor. The optimized BFO/g-C3N4 heterojunction photocathode shows a 2.4 times enhancement in the photocurrent density than the pristine BFO sample. The improvement in the PEC performance is ascribed to the type II heterojunction formed between BFO and g-C3N4, resulting in the enhanced separation of the photogenerated charge carriers. More importantly, the PEC performance can be further improved by positive polarization of the BFO/g-C3N4 heterojunction photocathode. Our ferroelectric–semiconductor heterojunction material may be a promising solution for achieving highly efficient PEC systems.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/5.0018856