Rational design of W-doped BiVO4 photoanode coupled with FeOOH for highly efficient photoelectrochemical catalyzing water oxidation

Developments of promising photocatalyst for PEC water oxidation gain significant interest in the research field of PEC water splitting. The BiVO₄ has been envisioned as suitable photocatalyst material for the PEC water oxidation due to suitable bandgap with favorable band edge positions. Nevertheless, the poor electron-hole separation and low charge transfer efficiency of BiVO₄ yield sluggish surface catalysis reaction. Herein, facile electrodeposition and annealing techniques are proposed to fabricate W-doped BiVO₄ photoanode coupled with FeOOH (W–BiVO₄/FeOOH) for efficient photocatalytic water oxidation. This synthesis is simple, cost-effective and less time consuming. The doping concentration of W and deposition time of FeOOH are optimized to improve photocatalytic ability of BiVO₄. At 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) under 1 sun illumination, the W–BiVO₄/FeOOH photoanode exhibits a high photocurrent density of 2.2 mA/cm², which is seven folds higher than that of the pristine BiVO₄ photoanode (0.31 mA/cm² 1.23 V vs. RHE). The enhanced photocatalytic ability of W–BiVO₄/FeOOH photoanode is due to the enhanced charge transport properties and synergistic effects of W doping and FeOOH deposition. The excellent long-term stability with the photocurrent density retention of 90% after continuous light illumination for 1000 s is also achieved for the W–BiVO₄/FeOOH photoanode.     

A novel visible-light responsive photocatalytic fuel cell with a highly efficient BiVO4/WO3 inverse opal photoanode and a MnO2/graphene oxide nanocomposite modified cathode

A highly efficient inverse-opal structured BiVO₄/WO₃ photoanode and a MnO₂/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite modified cathode were successfully synthesized in this paper. The optimized BiVO₄/WO₃ inverse opal photoanode achieved a photocurrent density of ∼5.04 mA/cm² at 1.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl under simulated AM 1.5 illumination, which was 2.84 and 2.36 times higher than that of WO₃ inverse opal photoanode and BiVO₄/WO₃ nanoflake photoanode, respectively. The BiVO₄/WO₃ inverse opal photoanode was coupled with the MnO₂/GO modified cathode to build up a novel visible-light responsive photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) system. The as-established PFC showed outstanding power production performances in comparison with the PFC equipped with a bare MnO₂ modified cathode. For example, in the former PFC system, the maximum power density and the short circuit current density were ∼66.2 μW/cm² and ∼593.5 μA/cm², respectively, for comparison, in the latter PFC, the values were ∼30.1 μW/cm² and ∼255.9 μA/cm², respectively. The degradation experiment for Rhodamine B confirmed successful application of the as-established PFC in pollutant degradation. The mechanism for the significantly enhanced photoelectrocatalytic performances of the PFC was elucidated. The PFC system presented in this paper opened up a new prototype in developing highly efficient devices for energy conversion and environmental protection.     

Bi2S3 entrenched BiVO4/WO3 multidimensional triadic photoanode for enhanced photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution applications

The catalytic reactivity and photoactivity of WO₃ and BiVO₄ oxide semiconductors have general obstacles as electrodes in emergent photo-electrochemical (PEC) hydrogen evolution applications. The present work comprises the integration of photocatalyst with wide visible photon absorption material which is vital for hydrogen evolution in photo-electrocatalytic water splitting. Herein, the 1D WO₃ NWs have been integrated with stable water oxidation photocatalysts of BiVO₄ and Bi₂S₃ as a photoanode (Bi₂S₃/BiVO₄/WO₃) for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution reactions. The morphological variations in the Bi₂S₃/BiVO₄/WO₃ heterostructure manifest catalytic activity and rapid charge transfer characteristics owing to band alignment and a wide range of visible photon absorption. The optimized Bi₂S₃/BiVO₄/WO₃ multidimensional photoanode accomplishes a superior photocurrent density of 1.52 mA/cm², a seven-fold higher than pristine WO₃ photoanode counterpart (0.2 mA/cm²) at 1 V vs. RHE. A prodigious lowest onset potential of ?0.01 V vs. RHE) has been achieved which enables very high solar to hydrogen conversion. The photoelectrode with entangled morphology such as nanosheets, nanocrystals and nanorods expanded their surface to volume ratio having enhanced catalytic performance. The hybrid photoanodes have demonstrated the lowest charge transfer resistance of 360 Ohm/cm² with a 7-fold rise in hydrogen evolution performance. The resultant triadic Bi₂S₃/BiVO₄/WO₃ heterostructure appeared to be an emerging stable photo-electro catalyst for hydrogen evolution applications.     

Photodeposited CoOx as highly active phases to boost water oxidation on BiVO4/WO3 photoanode

Surface decoration of photoanodes with oxygen evolution cocatalysts is an efficient approach to improve the photoelectrochemical water splitting performance. Herein, ultrafine CoO_x was selectively immobilized on the surface of BiVO₄/WO₃ photoanode by using the photogenerated holes to in-situ oxidize Co₄O₄ cubane. The composited photoanode (CoO_x/BiVO₄/WO₃) displayed an enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation performance, with a photocurrent density of 2.3 mA/cm² at 1.23 V_RHE under the simulated sunlight irradiation, which was 2 times higher than that of bare BiVO₄/WO₃. The characterization results for the morphological, optical and electrochemical properties of the photoelectrodes revealed that, the enhanced PEC performances could be attributed to the improved charge carrier separation/transport behaviors and the promoted water oxidation kinetics when the photoelectrodes were loaded with CoO_x.     

Hierarchical mesoporous SnO2/BiVO4 photoanode decorated with Ag nanorods for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

Bismuth vanadate has been extensively investigated as a potential visible light photoanode for PEC water splitting. The performance of BiVO₄ is restricted by fast charge recombination and slow oxygen evolution reaction kinetic. To address these issues, hierarchical SnO₂ (HSN) mesoporous support is developed via a novel sol-electrophoretic approach, and BiVO₄ film is decorated with silver nanorods (Ag NRs). The photocurrent density of HSN/BiVO₄ photoanode is 3.98 mA/cm² at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and onset potential (V_onset) of 0.5 V vs. RHE. The PEC performance is attributed to the appropriate band alignment between SnO₂ and BiVO₄, as well as the hierarchical structure of SnO₂. Ag-HSN/BiVO₄ photoanode shows photocurrent density of 4.30 mA/cm² at 1.23 V vs. RHE and V_onset of 0.28 V vs. RHE. The enhanced photocurrent and negatively shifted V_onset can be attributed to radiative localized surface plasmon resonance decay and catalytic effect of Ag NRs, respectively.     

Role of sputtered WO3 underlayer and NiFeCr-LDH co-catalyst in WO3–BiVO4 heterojunction for enhanced photoelectrochemical water oxidation

WO₃–BiVO₄ (WO-60s/BVO) heterojunction was synthesized by radio-frequency sputtered WO₃ onto FTO substrate, followed by spin-coating of BiVO₄ layer. Furthermore, Cr incorporated NiFe-LDH (NiFeCr-LDH) oxygen evolution reaction (OER) co-catalyst was electrodeposited onto WO-60s/BVO. The sputtered WO₃ underlayer in the WO-60s/BVO facilitated enhanced electron-hole separation and less transient time for the electron to arrive at back contact than conventional spin-coated WO₃ layers. Incorporating Cr into NiFe-LDH increased the electrical conductivity of LDH, which resulted in an enhanced transfer of photogenerated charge-carrier and significant promotion of the OER kinetics. The heterojunction with sputtered WO₃ underlayer and NiFeCr-LDH co-catalyst attained photocurrent density of 4.9 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V vs. RHE with an IPCE value greater than 56% in the 350–470 nm wavelength range. Moreover, the WO-60s/BVO-NiFeCr photoanode showed only 7% decay in photocurrent after 6 h with H_2, and O₂ evolution of 98 and 47 μmol cm⁻² h, respectively, suggesting high stability for OER.     

Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of 2D core-shell WO3/CuWO4 uniform heterojunction via in situ synthesis and modification of Co-Pi co-catalyst

In order to enhance the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of tungsten oxide (WO₃), it is critical to overcome the problems of narrow visible light absorption range and low carrier separation efficiency. In this work, we firstly prepared the 2D plate-like WO₃/CuWO₄ uniform core-shell heterojunction through in-situ synthesis method. After modification with the amorphous Co-Pi co-catalyst, the ternary uniform core-shell structure photoanode achieved a photocurrent of 1.4 mA/cm² at 1.23 V vs. RHE, which was about 6.67 and 1.75 times higher than that of pristine WO₃ and 2D uniform core-shell heterojunction, respectively. Furthermore, the onset potential of 2D WO₃/CuWO₄/Co-Pi core-shell heterojunction occurred a negatively shifts of about 20 mV. Experiments illuminated that the enhanced PEC performance of WO₃/CuWO₄/Co-Pi photoanode was attributed to the broader light absorption, reduced carrier transfer barrier and increased carrier separation efficiency. The work provides a strategy of maximizing the advantages of core-shell heterojunction and co-catalyst to achieve effective PEC performance.     

rGO decorated semiconductor heterojunction of BiVO4/NiO to enhance PEC water splitting efficiency

Monoclinic phase of BiVO₄ is a promising photoanode material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, but its sluggish water oxidation kinetics and frequent bulk charge recombination greatly reduce its efficiency of PEC water splitting. A novel BiVO₄/NiO/rGO photoanode was very simply prepared by electrodeposition, solution immersion and spin coating methods, in particular, the solution immersion method to loading NiO has never been reported in PEC research. Compared with BiVO₄, the photocurrent density of the ternary photoanode reaches 1.52 mA/cm² at 1.23 V vs RHE, which is 2.41 and 1.39 times higher than that of pure BiVO₄ and binary BiVO₄/NiO photoanode, respectively. The onset potential of the ternary photoanode shows a significant cathodic shift of 130 mV compared with the BiVO₄ photoanode. Moreover, the measured incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) value reaches 50.52% at λ = 420 nm. The improvement is attributed to the type-II heterojunction formation that enhances the separation efficiency of electron/hole and the rGO decoration that accelerates the electron transfer and provides more active sites for gas adsorption.     

Reasonable regulation of kinetics over BiVO4 photoanode by Fe–CoP catalysts for boosting photoelectrochemical water splitting

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting using earth-abundant semiconductor offer a promising strategy to produce the sustainable clean energy. Herein, we successfully engineered BiVO₄ photoanode with Fe-doped CoP oxygen evolution catalysts (BiVO₄–Fe/CoP) for the first time. Fe/CoP catalysts could significantly break the kinetic limitations of BiVO₄, contributing to the enhanced charge injection efficiencies and charge carrier density. The rational heterostructure has boosted the photocurrent density and incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) to 2.16 mA/cm² and 43% (7 times than that of the bare BiVO₄), respectively. Meanwhile, the BiVO₄–Fe/CoP photoanode also exhibited the desirable long-term stability during PEC water oxidation for 4 h. The results prove the feasibility of BiVO₄–Fe/CoP configuration, which further provided a novel approach towards the development of efficient PEC water oxidation system.     

Efficient suppression of surface charge recombination by CoP-Modified nanoporous BiVO4 for photoelectrochemical water splitting

BiVO₄ is a promising photoanode material for water splitting due to its substantial absorption of solar light as well as favorable band edge positions. However, the poor water oxidation kinetics of BiVO₄ results in its insufficient photocurrent density. Herein, we demonstrate the use of CoP nanoparticles for facile surface modification of nanoporous BiVO₄ photoanode in potassium borate buffer solution (pH 9.0), which can generate a tremendous cathodic shift of ~430 mV in the onset potential for photoelectrochemical water oxidation. In addition, a remarkable photocurrent density of 4.1 mA cm^?2 is achieved at 1.23 V vs. RHE under AM 1.5G illumination. The photoelectrochemical measurement using sodium sulfite as a hole scavenger clearly shows that the greatly improved performances are attributed to the efficient suppression of interfacial charge recombination through loading of CoP catalyst. Moreover, the maximum surface charge injection yield can reach >81% at 1.23 V vs. RHE and the maximum IPCE of CoP/BiVO₄ can reach 75.8% at 420 nm, suggesting the potential application of CoP-modified BiVO₄ photoanode for overall solar water splitting in cost-effective tandem photoelectrochemical cells.     

Boosting the performance of visible light‐driven WO3/g‐C3N4 anchored with BiVO4 nanoparticles for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

In this article, a ternary WO₃/g‐C₃N₄@ BiVO₄ composites were prepared using eco‐friendly hydrothermal method to produce efficient hydrogen energy through water in the presence of sacrificial agents. The prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐vis), Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface area, and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) emission spectroscopy. The experimental study envisages the formation of 2‐D nanostructures and observed that such kinds of nanostructures could provide more active sites for photocatalytic reduction of water and their inherent reactive‐species mechanism. The results showed the excellent photocatalytic performance (432 μmol h^?1 g^?1) for 1.5% BiVO₄ nanoparticles in WO₃/g‐C₃N₄ composite when compared with pure WO₃ and BiVO₄. The optical properties and photocatalytic activity measurement confirmed that BiVO₄ nanoparticles in WO₃/g‐C₃N₄ photocatalyst inhibited the recombination of photogenerated electron and holes and enhanced the reduction reactions for H₂ production. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of the composite nanostructures may be attributed to wide absorption region of visible light, large surface area, and efficient separation of electrons/holes pairs owing to synergistic effects between BiVO₄ and WO₃/g‐C₃N₄. The prepared samples would be a precise optimal photocatalyst to increase their suppliers for worldwide applications especially in energy harvesting.     

Fabrication of BiVO4 photoanode catalyzed with bimetallic sulfide nanoparticles for enhanced photoelectrochemical water oxidation

The photoelectrochemical water oxidation ability of BiVO₄ is usually restrained by its low separation efficiency of the photogenerated charge and slow kinetics for water oxidation. Here, FeCoS₂ bimetallic sulfide nanoparticles are successfully coated on BiVO₄ photoanode to address these problems. The photocurrent density of FeCoS₂/BiVO₄ photoanode is 3.08 times that of BiVO₄ photoanode. Furthermore, the charge separation efficiency can reach 75% and the charge injection efficiency reaches nearly 78%. The onset potential of FeCoS₂/BiVO₄ shifts 300 mV negatively, while the incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency value of FeCoS₂/BiVO₄ is 2.86 folds of BiVO₄. The enhancement benefits from the loading of FeCoS₂, which promotes the separation of photogenerated electron and hole, and inhibits the recombination of photogenerated charge and hole.     

Cactus shaped FeOOH/Au/BiVO4 photoanodes for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

In this work, a FeOOH/Au/BiVO₄ photoanode was fabricated through dual modification with Au nanoparticles (NPs, ∼5 nm) and FeOOH nanoneedles (NNs) on nanoporous BiVO₄ surface. Both the Au NPs and FeOOH NNs were distributed uniformly onto the BiVO₄ by using the electrodeposition and chemisorption routes, respectively. After parameter optimization, the FeOOH/Au/BiVO₄ photoanode displayed a photocurrent density of 4.64 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V_RHE, which was 3.74 times higher than the pristine BiVO₄ one. Besides, the FeOOH/Au/BiVO₄ photoanodes also displayed a maximum H₂ yield amount of 23.9 μmol cm⁻² h⁻¹. The significantly enhanced performance could be attributed to the following reasons: Introduction of Au NPs enhanced the visible light absorption through localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect; the photo-excited “hot electrons” of Au NPs were more likely to flow into the conduction band (CB) of BiVO₄ via a direct electron transfer mechanism, leading to an improvement of the charge separation/transfer efficiency; surface modification of FeOOH extracted photogenerated holes, leading to an acceleration of the surface catalytic kinetics. In a word, the present study suggests that co-sensitization of Au NPs and FeOOH might be an effective method for improving the PEC water oxidation kinetics of BiVO₄ photoanodes.     

An efficient tandem photoelectrochemical cell composed of FeOOH/TiO2/BiVO4 and Cu2O for self-driven solar water splitting

An integrated solar water splitting tandem cell without external bias was designed using a FeOOH modified TiO₂/BiVO₄ photoanode as a photoanode and p-Cu₂O as a photocathode in this study. An apparent photocurrent (0.37 mA/cm² at operating voltage of +0.36 V_RHE) for the tandem cell without applied bias was measured, which is corresponding to a photoconversion efficiency of 0.46%. Besides, the photocurrent of FeOOH modified TiO₂/BiVO₄–Cu₂O is much higher than the operating point given by pure BiVO₄ and Cu₂O photocathode (∼0.07 mA/cm² at +0.42 V_RHE). Then we established a FeOOH modified TiO₂/BiVO₄–Cu₂O two-electrode system and measured the current density-voltage curves under AM 1.5G illumination. The unassisted photocurrent density is 0.12 mA/cm⁻² and the corresponding amounts of hydrogen and oxygen evolved by the tandem PEC cell without bias are 2.36 μmol/cm² and 1.09 μmol/cm² after testing for 2.5 h. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of the FeOOH modified TiO₂/BiVO₄ photoanode were further studied to demonstrate the electrons transport process of solar water splitting. This aspect provides a fundamental challenge to establish an unbiased and stabilized photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar water splitting tandem cell with higher solar-to-hydrogen efficiency.     

Photoelectrochemical water splitting with 600 keV N2+ ion irradiated BiVO4 and BiVO4/Au photoanodes

Low energy N²⁺ ion beam with 600 keV energy has been used to irradiate BiVO₄ and Au nanoparticles loaded BiVO₄ (BiVO₄/Au) thin films deposited over fluorine doped tin oxide substrates via spray pyrolysis technique. Ion irradiation results in tailoring the optical, electrical, and morphological properties of the thin films and thence also responsible for changes in electrochemical properties. The scanning electron microscope images reveal the evolution of Au nanoparticles after irradiation at 2 × 10¹⁵ fluence to a nanourchins type of morphology. In consequence of morphological changes, the signature of surface plasmon resonance peak exhibited by Au nanoparticles in BiVO₄/Au shows improvement. An increase of approximately 92% in photocurrent density in comparison to pristine BiVO₄ has been found after irradiation in BiVO₄/Au photoanode at 2 × 10¹⁵ ions/cm² fluence. Moreover, irradiation also aids in improving photoelectrochemical response of BiVO₄ photoanodes without Au nanoparticles. The enhancement can be attributed to the notable changes in onset potential, charge separation, charge transfer resistance and optical properties.     

Fabrication of WO3 based nanocomposites for the excellent photocatalytic energy production under visible light irradiation

Energy crisis and higher demands have lead scientists to search for economic and reliable sources of energy. In this research work, WO₃/BiVO₄ (1%,2%,3% and 4%) composites are synthesized by using a facile hydrothermal method to produce hydrogen energy from biomass through photoelectrochemical cells. The photoanodes were made by using spin coating methods. The experimental results were analyzed by the SEM, XRD, UV–Vis, PL, and BET spectroscopic techniques. The XRD results showed that the material is crystalline and the average crystallite size is in the range of 50–55 nm, the SEM results showed that the materials have spheres-like nanostructures. The UV and PL results exhibited that absorption region increased and recombination rate decreased by adding BiVO₄ up to 3%. The BET results showed the porosity of the material and exhibited that WO₃/BiVO₄ (3%) has a large surface area (m²/g). The efficiency was analyzed by producing hydrogen energy and the results revealed that WO₃/BiVO4 (3%) showed the highest efficiency for producing hydrogen energy, which is 330.9 micro-mol.h⁻¹.g⁻¹. The material also showed excellent stability even after the third cycle. The extraneous efficiency caused due to redshift of the WO₃/BiVO₄(3%), high redox potential, high crystallinity, small bandgap and electronic interaction across the electrodes for the production of hydrogen gas fuel during efficient photocatalytic activity. Moreover, WO₃/BiVO₄ (3%) is proved to be an active and favourable photocatalyst for the production of hydrogen energy from biomass/bio-wastes, which can be further utilized in various energy applications.     

An ultra-thin NiOOH layer loading on BiVO4 photoanode for highly efficient photoelectrochemical water oxidation

Monoclinic bismuth vanadate has been widely used as a promising n-type semiconductor for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water decomposition due to its high reserves, good stability in neutral solutions, and relatively narrow band gap. Here, we developed a simple method to prepare a thin NiOOH layer on the surface of BiVO₄ nanorod arrays. The heterostructured photoanode shows great enhancement for the photocurrent density of 2.7 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V vs. RHE, which is ~2.3 times higher than that of pristine BiVO₄ electrode, due to NiOOH as an efficient oxygen-releasing catalyst with abundant oxygen vacancies. The NiOOH/BiVO₄ photoanodes are systematically studied with X-ray diffraction, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectra, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV–vis diffuse-reflectance spectrum. The heterostructured photoanode shows excellent PEC activity, which can provide a promising and easy strategy to prepare such photoanode with high-efficient oxygen evolution co-catalysts.     

Photoanode of LDH catalyst decorated semiconductor heterojunction of BiVO4/CdS to enhance PEC water splitting efficiency

BiVO₄ is an ideal photoanode material for solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting but it easily suffers from the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes due to its low carrier mobility thus cause low efficiency of PEC water splitting. Herein, the BiVO₄/CdS/NiCo-LDH photoanode was prepared by combining methods of metal organic decomposition, chemical and electrodeposition. The photoanode photocurrent density reaches 2.72 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V (vs. RHE), which is 3.6 folds of pure BiVO₄ photoanode and onset potential shifts 450 mV toward cathodic. The incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) value is 2.86 folds of BiVO₄, the calculated photon–to–current efficiency (ABPE) is 1.24% at 0.62 V (vs. RHE). The obtained results are higher than that of most BiVO₄ based photoanodes published so far. The enhancement benefits from increase of visible light absorption capacity, enhancement of separation efficiency of photoexcited electron-hole and fast transfer of holes accumulated on electrode/electrolyte surface for water oxidation, which has been confirmed by calculating carrier density and carrier transport rate.     

In2O3:Sn/TiO2/CdS heterojunction nanowire array photoanode in photoelectrochemical cells

The design of photoanode with highly efficient light harvesting and charge collection properties is important in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell performance for hydrogen production. Here, we report the hierarchical In₂O₃:Sn/TiO₂/CdS heterojunction nanowire array photoanode (ITO/TiO₂/CdS-nanowire array photoanode) as it provides a short travel distance for charge carrier and long light absorption pathway by scattering effect. In addition, optical properties and device performance of the ITO/TiO₂/CdS-nanowire array photoanode were compared with the TiO₂ nanoparticle/CdS photoanode. The photocatalytic properties for water splitting were measured in the presence of sacrificial agent such as SO₃²⁻ and S²⁻ ions. Under illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW/cm²), ITO/TiO₂/CdS-nanowire array photoanode exhibits a photocurrent density of 8.36 mA/cm² at 0 V versus Ag/AgCl, which is four times higher than the TiO₂ nanoparticle/CdS photoanode. The maximum applied bias photon-to-current efficiency for the ITO/TiO₂/CdS-nanowire array and the TiO₂ nanoparticle/CdS photoanode were 3.33% and 2.09%, respectively. The improved light harvesting and the charge collection properties due to the increased light absorption pathway and reduced electron travel distance by ITO nanowire lead to enhancement of PEC performance.     

Promoting photoelectrochemical hydrogen production performance by fabrication of Co1-XS decorating BiVO4 photoanode

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is an effective way of converting solar energy into hydrogen (H₂) energy. However, the carriers’ transmission and the reaction kinetics of the photoelectrode are dilatory, which will influence the conversion efficiency of solar energy to H₂. In this work, a novel of BiVO₄/Co_1-XS photoanode was successfully fabricated through the successive ionic layer adsorption reaction. The photocurrent density of optimal sample BiVO₄/Co_1-XS (2.9 mA cm^?2 at 1.23 V_RHE) has reached up to 5 times that of pure BiVO₄, and the applied bias photon to current conversion efficiency increased from 0.04% (BiVO₄) to 0.4% (BiVO₄/Co_1-XS). The superior PEC performance of the BiVO₄/Co_1-XS photoanode is mainly related to the improved conductivities and reaction kinetics. The charge injection efficiency of BiVO₄/Co_1-XS grew to about 80%, and the charge separation efficiency was up to 34%, revealing that the decoration of Co_1-XS could significantly accelerate the transfer speed of photogenerated carriers from the electrode surface to the electrolyte. This work provided an efficient and simple scheme for improving the PEC performance of photoanode, through reasonable design and research.