Disentangling the Role of Surface Chemical Interactions on Interfacial Charge Transport at BiVO 4 Photoanodes
Abstract
Chemical transformations that occur on photoactive materials, such as photoelectrochemical water splitting, are strongly influenced by the surface properties as well as by the surrounding environment. Herein, we elucidate the effects of oxygen and water surface adsorption on band alignment, interfacial charge transfer, and charge-carrier transport by using complementary Kelvin probe measurements and photoconductive atomic force microscopy on bismuth vanadate. By observing variations in surface potential, we show that adsorbed oxygen acts as an electron-trap state at the surface of bismuth vanadate, whereas adsorbed water results in formation of a dipole layer without inducing interfacial charge transfer. The apparent change of trap state density under dry or humid nitrogen, as well as under oxygen-rich atmosphere, proves that surface adsorbates influence charge-carrier transport properties in the material. The finding that oxygen introduces electronically active states on the surface of bismuth vanadate may have important implications for understanding functional characteristics of water splitting photoanodes, devising strategies to passivate interfacial trap states, and elucidating important couplings between energetics and charge transport in reaction environments.
- Authors:
-
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Technische Univ. Munchen, Garching (Germany)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities Division
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1477400
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 41; Journal ID: ISSN 1944-8244
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Citation Formats
Eichhorn, Johanna, Kastl, Christoph, Schwartzberg, Adam M., Sharp, Ian D., and Toma, Francesca M. Disentangling the Role of Surface Chemical Interactions on Interfacial Charge Transport at BiVO 4 Photoanodes. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1021/acsami.8b11366.
Eichhorn, Johanna, Kastl, Christoph, Schwartzberg, Adam M., Sharp, Ian D., & Toma, Francesca M. Disentangling the Role of Surface Chemical Interactions on Interfacial Charge Transport at BiVO 4 Photoanodes. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.8b11366
Eichhorn, Johanna, Kastl, Christoph, Schwartzberg, Adam M., Sharp, Ian D., and Toma, Francesca M. Wed .
"Disentangling the Role of Surface Chemical Interactions on Interfacial Charge Transport at BiVO 4 Photoanodes". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.8b11366. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1477400.
@article{osti_1477400,
title = {Disentangling the Role of Surface Chemical Interactions on Interfacial Charge Transport at BiVO 4 Photoanodes},
author = {Eichhorn, Johanna and Kastl, Christoph and Schwartzberg, Adam M. and Sharp, Ian D. and Toma, Francesca M.},
abstractNote = {Chemical transformations that occur on photoactive materials, such as photoelectrochemical water splitting, are strongly influenced by the surface properties as well as by the surrounding environment. Herein, we elucidate the effects of oxygen and water surface adsorption on band alignment, interfacial charge transfer, and charge-carrier transport by using complementary Kelvin probe measurements and photoconductive atomic force microscopy on bismuth vanadate. By observing variations in surface potential, we show that adsorbed oxygen acts as an electron-trap state at the surface of bismuth vanadate, whereas adsorbed water results in formation of a dipole layer without inducing interfacial charge transfer. The apparent change of trap state density under dry or humid nitrogen, as well as under oxygen-rich atmosphere, proves that surface adsorbates influence charge-carrier transport properties in the material. The finding that oxygen introduces electronically active states on the surface of bismuth vanadate may have important implications for understanding functional characteristics of water splitting photoanodes, devising strategies to passivate interfacial trap states, and elucidating important couplings between energetics and charge transport in reaction environments.},
doi = {10.1021/acsami.8b11366},
journal = {ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces},
number = 41,
volume = 10,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {9}
}
Web of Science
Figures / Tables:

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Figures / Tables found in this record: