WO_(3) homojunction photoanode:Integrating the advantages of WO_(3) different facets for efficient water oxidation

摘要

The manipulation of the surface property of WO_(3) photoanode is the main breakthrough direction to improve its solar water oxidation performance both in thermodynamics and kinetics.Here,we report a WO_(3)(002)/m-WO_(3) homojunction film that is composed of an upper WO_(3) layer with predominant(002)facet(WO_(3)(002))and a lower WO_(3) layer with multi-crystal facets(m-WO_(3))as a photoanode for solar water oxidation.Due to the synergistic effect of WO_(3)(002)layer and m-WO_(3) layer,better water oxidation activity and stability are achieved on the WO_(3)(002)/m-WO_(3) homojunction film relative to the m-WO_(3) and WO_(3)(002)film.Specifically,the improved water oxidation performance on the WO_(3)(002)/m-WO_(3) homojunction film is attributed to the followings.In thermodynamics,the band position differences between WO_(3)(002)layer and m-WO_(3) layer lead to the formation of WO_(3)(002)/m-WO_(3) homojunction,which has positive function of improving their charge separation and transfer.In kinetics,the upper WO_(3)(002)layer of the WO_(3)(002)/m-WO_(3) film has superior activity in the adsorption and activation of water molecules,water oxidation on this homojunction film photoanode is inclined to follow the four-holes pathway,and the corrosion of photoanode from the H_(2)O_(2) intermediate is restrained.The present work provides a new strategy to modify the WO_(3) photoanodes for thermodynamically and kinetically efficient water oxidation.