Switchable Charge‐Transfer in the Photoelectrochemical Energy‐Conversion Process of Ferroelectric BiFeO3 Photoelectrodes

Instead of conventional semiconductor photoelectrodes, herein, we focus on BiFeO₃ ferroelectric photoelectrodes to break the limits imposed by common semiconductors. As a result of their prominent ferroelectric properties, the photoelectrodes are able to tune the transfer of photo‐excited charges generated either in BiFeO₃ or the surface modifiers by manipulating the poling conditions of the ferroelectric domains. At 0 V vs Ag/AgCl, the photocurrent could be switched from 0 μA cm^?2 to 10 μA cm^?2 and the open‐circuit potential changes from 33 mV to 440 mV, when the poling bias of pretreatment is manipulated from ?8 V to +8 V. Additionally, the pronounced photocurrent from charge injection of the excited surface modifiers could be quenched by switching the poling bias from +8 V to ?8 V.     

Tunning of Templated CuWO4 Nanorods Arrays Thickness to Improve Photoanode Water Splitting

The fabrication of the photoanode of the n-type CuWO₄ nanorod arrays was successfully carried out through electrochemical deposition using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) control templates and for the first time produced distinct gaps between the nanorod arrays. The effectiveness and efficiency of the resulting deposition was shown by the performance of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) procedure with a current density of 1.02 mA cm⁻² with irradiation using standard AM 1.5G solar simulator and electron changed radiation of 0.72% with a bias potential of 0.71 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The gap between each nanorod indicated an optimization of the electrolyte penetration on the interface, which resulted in the expansion of the current density as much as 0.5 × 10²⁴ cm⁻³ with a flat band potential of 0.14 V vs. Ag/AgCl and also a peak quantum efficiency of wavelength 410 nm. Thus, also indicating the gaps between the nanorod arrays is a promising structure to optimize the performance of the PEC water splitting procedure as a sustainable energy source.