Photoelectrodeposition of NiMo Catalyst on Cu₂O Photocathodes for Enhanced Solar-to-Hydrogen Energy Conversion

• Published in: Current Photovoltaic Research Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 135 - 141
• Main Authors: Ji Hoon Choi, Ji Hye Jeong, Hak Hyeon Lee, Hyung Koun Cho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 한국태양광발전학회 01.12.2024
• Subjects: 기타공학; Photoelectrochemical cell; NiMo catalyst; Hydrogen evolution reaction; Cu₂O photocathodes
• ISSN: 2288-3274; 2508-125X
• DOI: 10.21218/CPR.2024.12.4.135

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting offers an eco-friendly method to convert solar energy into hydrogen, with recent advancements improving efficiency. However, despite direct hydrogen production on photocathode surfaces, research into high-performance, stable photocathode-specific catalysts remains limited. In this study, we optimized a NiMo hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst on Cu2O-based photocathodes using a photoelectrodeposition (PED) method to enhance PEC water-splitting efficiency. Key deposition parameters, including light, current density, applied voltage, and time, were systematically controlled to ensure uniform NiMo catalyst deposition without post-treatments. Under simulated 1-sun illumination, the optimized NiMo catalyst achieved 93% of the performance of conventional Pt catalysts and maintained stable hydrogen production for over 20 hours. Electrochemical analysis confirmed superior PEC performance of the NiMo catalyst, particularly at a fixed current density of −1.5 µA cm-2. This study introduces a noble metal-free catalyst deposition method, advancing solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency and long-term PEC device stability. KCI Citation Count: 0