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Title: Gallium nitride nanowire as a linker of molybdenum sulfides and silicon for photoelectrocatalytic water splitting

Abstract

Abstract The combination of earth-abundant catalysts and semiconductors, for example, molybdenum sulfides and planar silicon, presents a promising avenue for the large-scale conversion of solar energy to hydrogen. The inferior interface between molybdenum sulfides and planar silicon, however, severely suppresses charge carrier extraction, thus limiting the performance. Here, we demonstrate that defect-free gallium nitride nanowire is ideally used as a linker of planar silicon and molybdenum sulfides to produce a high-quality shell-core heterostructure. Theoretical calculations revealed that the unique electronic interaction and the excellent geometric-matching structure between gallium nitride and molybdenum sulfides enabled an ideal electron-migration channel for high charge carrier extraction efficiency, leading to outstanding performance. A benchmarking current density of 40 ± 1 mA cm −2 at 0 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, the highest value ever reported for a planar silicon electrode without noble metals, and a large onset potential of +0.4 V were achieved under standard one-sun illumination.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ORCiD logo; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1471151
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1513254
Grant/Contract Number:  
EE0008086
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Nature Communications
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Volume: 9 Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING

Citation Formats

Zhou, Baowen, Kong, Xianghua, Vanka, Srinivas, Chu, Sheng, Ghamari, Pegah, Wang, Yichen, Pant, Nick, Shih, Ishiang, Guo, Hong, and Mi, Zetian. Gallium nitride nanowire as a linker of molybdenum sulfides and silicon for photoelectrocatalytic water splitting. United Kingdom: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-06140-1.
Zhou, Baowen, Kong, Xianghua, Vanka, Srinivas, Chu, Sheng, Ghamari, Pegah, Wang, Yichen, Pant, Nick, Shih, Ishiang, Guo, Hong, & Mi, Zetian. Gallium nitride nanowire as a linker of molybdenum sulfides and silicon for photoelectrocatalytic water splitting. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06140-1
Zhou, Baowen, Kong, Xianghua, Vanka, Srinivas, Chu, Sheng, Ghamari, Pegah, Wang, Yichen, Pant, Nick, Shih, Ishiang, Guo, Hong, and Mi, Zetian. Fri . "Gallium nitride nanowire as a linker of molybdenum sulfides and silicon for photoelectrocatalytic water splitting". United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06140-1.
@article{osti_1471151,
title = {Gallium nitride nanowire as a linker of molybdenum sulfides and silicon for photoelectrocatalytic water splitting},
author = {Zhou, Baowen and Kong, Xianghua and Vanka, Srinivas and Chu, Sheng and Ghamari, Pegah and Wang, Yichen and Pant, Nick and Shih, Ishiang and Guo, Hong and Mi, Zetian},
abstractNote = {Abstract The combination of earth-abundant catalysts and semiconductors, for example, molybdenum sulfides and planar silicon, presents a promising avenue for the large-scale conversion of solar energy to hydrogen. The inferior interface between molybdenum sulfides and planar silicon, however, severely suppresses charge carrier extraction, thus limiting the performance. Here, we demonstrate that defect-free gallium nitride nanowire is ideally used as a linker of planar silicon and molybdenum sulfides to produce a high-quality shell-core heterostructure. Theoretical calculations revealed that the unique electronic interaction and the excellent geometric-matching structure between gallium nitride and molybdenum sulfides enabled an ideal electron-migration channel for high charge carrier extraction efficiency, leading to outstanding performance. A benchmarking current density of 40 ± 1 mA cm −2 at 0 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, the highest value ever reported for a planar silicon electrode without noble metals, and a large onset potential of +0.4 V were achieved under standard one-sun illumination.},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-06140-1},
journal = {Nature Communications},
number = 1,
volume = 9,
place = {United Kingdom},
year = {Fri Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Fri Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06140-1

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 66 works
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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1 Fig. 1 : Calculated atomic structures. Top and side view of the fully relaxed atomic structures of a GaN (10 10)-wurtzite and b MoS2. c Top view of the fully relaxed atomic structures of MoS2/GaN (10$\overline1$0) vertical

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