Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (6): 904-919.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(20)63712-3

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Recent strategies to enhance the efficiency of hematite photoanodes in photoelectrochemical water splitting

Dinghua Zhou, Ke Fan*()   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Institute of Artificial Photosynthesis, DUT-KTH Joint Education and Research Centre on Molecular Devices,Institute for Energy Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, Liaoning, China
  • Received:2020-08-08 Accepted:2020-09-21 Online:2021-06-18 Published:2021-01-30
  • Contact: Ke Fan
  • About author:*E-mail: kefan@kth.se
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(51772234);Dalian University of Technology(DUT19RC(3)063)

Abstract:

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is one of the most promising approaches toward achieving the conversion of solar energy to hydrogen. Hematite is a widely applied photoanode material in PEC water splitting because of its appropriate band structure, non-toxicity, high stability, and low cost. Nevertheless, its relatively low photochemical conversion efficiency limits its application, and enhancing its PEC water splitting efficiency remains a challenge. Consequently, increasing efforts have been rendered toward improving the performance of hematite photoanodes. The entire PEC water splitting efficiency typically includes three parts: the photon absorption efficiency, the separation efficiency of the semiconductor bulk, and the surface injection efficiency. This review briefly discusses the recent advances in studies on hematite photoanodes for water splitting, and through the enhancement of the three above-mentioned efficiencies, the corresponding strategies toward improving the PEC performance of hematite are comprehensively discussed and summarized.

Key words: Hematite, Photon absorption efficiency, Charge separation efficiency, Surface injection efficiency