Nanoplate structured BiVO4 homojunction photoanode for boosting photoelectrochemical water splitting

Modulation of two-dimensional (2D) morphology structure is an effective strategy to improve the electron transport properties of BiVO 4 photoanodes. However, up to now, the application of 2D BiVO 4 in photoelectrochemical water splitting has been extremely scarce reported. Here, a simple method to prepare nanoplate BiVO 4 photoanodes is reported. Mo-BiVO 4 nanoplates were grafted on the conventional BiVO 4 particles by the mild method. Due to the special structure, the specific surface area of the photoanode is increased, which enhances the light absorption and utilization efficiency. Moreover, the homojunction formed between BiVO 4 substrate and Mo-doped BiVO 4 nanoplate promotes the separation of photogenerated carriers and the transfer of photogenerated holes to the electrolyte interface. The abundant specific surface area also provides more support for the co-catalyst. As a result, under multiple facilitation, the photocurrent density of the BiVO 4 /Mo-BiVO 4 /CoPi photoanode is enhanced to 5.1 mA/cm 2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE.