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Title: Addressing the Stability Gap in Photoelectrochemistry: Molybdenum Disulfide Protective Catalysts for Tandem III–V Unassisted Solar Water Splitting

Abstract

While photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies have greatly improved over the past few decades, advances in PEC durability have lagged behind. Corrosion of semiconductor photoabsorbers in the aqueous conditions needed for water splitting is a major challenge that limits device stability. In addition, a precious-metal catalyst is often required to efficiently promote water splitting. In this work, we demonstrate unassisted water splitting using a nonprecious metal molybdenum disulfide nanomaterial catalytic protection layer paired with a GaInAsP/GaAs tandem device. This device was able to achieve stable unassisted water splitting for nearly 12 h, while a sibling sample with a PtRu catalyst was only stable for 2 h, highlighting the advantage of the nonprecious metal catalyst. In situ optical imaging illustrates the progression of macroscopic degradation that causes device failure. Furthermore, this work compares unassisted water splitting devices across the field in terms of the efficiency and stability, illustrating the need for improved stability.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
  2. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). Chemistry and Nanoscience Center
  3. Stanford Univ., CA (United States); Manchester Metropolitan Univ. (United Kingdom)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1660055
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 2305592
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-76771
Journal ID: ISSN 2380-8195; MainId:9432;UUID:eaa4d4a9-02ef-41a4-bed1-918c39d58cf2;MainAdminID:13838
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308; FOA-0001647; ECCS-154215; EE0008084
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
ACS Energy Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 5; Journal Issue: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 2380-8195
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; HydroGEN; III-V; MoS2; photoelectrochemical; stability gap

Citation Formats

Ben-Naim, Micha, Britto, Reuben J., Aldridge, Chase W., Mow, Rachel, Steiner, Myles A., Nielander, Adam C., King, Laurie A., Friedman, Daniel J., Deutsch, Todd G., Young, James L., and Jaramillo, Thomas F. Addressing the Stability Gap in Photoelectrochemistry: Molybdenum Disulfide Protective Catalysts for Tandem III–V Unassisted Solar Water Splitting. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.0c01132.
Ben-Naim, Micha, Britto, Reuben J., Aldridge, Chase W., Mow, Rachel, Steiner, Myles A., Nielander, Adam C., King, Laurie A., Friedman, Daniel J., Deutsch, Todd G., Young, James L., & Jaramillo, Thomas F. Addressing the Stability Gap in Photoelectrochemistry: Molybdenum Disulfide Protective Catalysts for Tandem III–V Unassisted Solar Water Splitting. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.0c01132
Ben-Naim, Micha, Britto, Reuben J., Aldridge, Chase W., Mow, Rachel, Steiner, Myles A., Nielander, Adam C., King, Laurie A., Friedman, Daniel J., Deutsch, Todd G., Young, James L., and Jaramillo, Thomas F. Thu . "Addressing the Stability Gap in Photoelectrochemistry: Molybdenum Disulfide Protective Catalysts for Tandem III–V Unassisted Solar Water Splitting". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.0c01132. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1660055.
@article{osti_1660055,
title = {Addressing the Stability Gap in Photoelectrochemistry: Molybdenum Disulfide Protective Catalysts for Tandem III–V Unassisted Solar Water Splitting},
author = {Ben-Naim, Micha and Britto, Reuben J. and Aldridge, Chase W. and Mow, Rachel and Steiner, Myles A. and Nielander, Adam C. and King, Laurie A. and Friedman, Daniel J. and Deutsch, Todd G. and Young, James L. and Jaramillo, Thomas F.},
abstractNote = {While photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies have greatly improved over the past few decades, advances in PEC durability have lagged behind. Corrosion of semiconductor photoabsorbers in the aqueous conditions needed for water splitting is a major challenge that limits device stability. In addition, a precious-metal catalyst is often required to efficiently promote water splitting. In this work, we demonstrate unassisted water splitting using a nonprecious metal molybdenum disulfide nanomaterial catalytic protection layer paired with a GaInAsP/GaAs tandem device. This device was able to achieve stable unassisted water splitting for nearly 12 h, while a sibling sample with a PtRu catalyst was only stable for 2 h, highlighting the advantage of the nonprecious metal catalyst. In situ optical imaging illustrates the progression of macroscopic degradation that causes device failure. Furthermore, this work compares unassisted water splitting devices across the field in terms of the efficiency and stability, illustrating the need for improved stability.},
doi = {10.1021/acsenergylett.0c01132},
journal = {ACS Energy Letters},
number = 8,
volume = 5,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jul 30 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Thu Jul 30 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}

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