Blue-light-excited NaCe(MoO4)2 microcrystals for photoelectrochemical water splitting |
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| Authors: | João Victor Barbosa Moura Antonio Amison Gomes de Souza Paulo de Tarso Cavalcante Freire Cleanio da Luz Lima Thiago Mielle Brito Ferreira Oliveira |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Centro de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Cariri, Juazeiro do Norte, CE, Brazil;2. Departamento de Física, Campus do Pici, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil;3. Departamento de Física, Campus Ministro Petrônio Portela, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brazil |
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| Abstract: | We report the structural, morphological, and optical characterization, and the application of sodium-cerium molybdate (NaCe(MoO4)2) as a promising photoelectroactive material for water splitting. Information on these several properties was obtained by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV–Vis–NIR diffuse reflectance. For the photoelectrochemical tests, NaCe(MoO4)2 microcrystals were deposited on conductive indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate by drop coating, and the activity of the as-prepared photoanode toward oxygen evolution reaction was investigated in the absence and presence of blue light-emitting diode irradiation. Studies carried out by linear sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy attested to a significant photoelectroactivity of molybdate associated with the fast electron-hole pairs generation. The steady-state photocurrent density recorded under irradiation achieved a remarkable increase, varying from 1.5 µA cm−2 (light off) to 44.1 µA cm−2 (light on), in addition, it presents high stability after on–off cycles, what proves the proper performance of NaCe(MoO4)2/ITO as photoanode for water splitting. |
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| Keywords: | electroceramics oxidation photoreaction water splitting |
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