Surface Engineering of BiVO4 Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: Recent Advances

• Published in: ChemCatChem Vol. 16; no. 14
• Main Authors: Arunachalam, Prabhakarn, Amer, Mabrook S., Al‐Mayouf, Abdullah M., Alsaleh, Ahmad A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 22.07.2024
• Subjects: Bismuth oxides; BiVO4; Chemical activity; Chemical energy; Chemical synthesis; Clean energy; Cocatalysts; Conduction bands; Current carriers; Heterojunction; Heterojunctions; Hydrogen production; Interface engineering; Photoanodes; Solar energy conversion; Vanadates; Water splitting
• ISSN: 1867-3880; 1867-3899
• DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202400312

Energy demand worldwide demands clean, cheap, and renewable energy. Through the use of photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion, solar energy can be transformed into chemical energy. Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4), a material exhibiting visible light activity, favourable conduction band edge energies, and ease of synthesis, has become increasingly popular in recent years. In BiVO4, charge carriers recombine rapidly, which adversely affects the PEC performance and stability. There have been several strategies developed to mitigate these deficiencies, including novel heterojunctions, doping with metals, coupling with cocatalysts, interface modification and modifying morphology. To achieve the best results, it is required to develop PEC devices with exceptional cost‐to‐efficiency ratios and long‐term durability. This review also examines novel yet commercially viable applications for BiVO4‐based photoanodes. Lastly, we discuss the challenges and perspectives facing PEC water splitting systems based on BiVO4. Surface Engineering on BiVO4: It provides a comprehensive review of the surface engineering approach applied to BiVO4 photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting. These techniques aim to enhance the charge transfer kinetics, improve the stability of the photoelectrode, and optimize the light absorption properties of BiVO4. Furthermore, it summarizes current challenges and mitigation strategies.