Interfacing BiVO4 with Reduced Graphene Oxide for Enhanced Photoactivity: A Tale of Facet Dependence of Electron Shuttling |
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| Authors: | Hui Ling Tan Hassan A Tahini Xiaoming Wen Roong Jien Wong Xin Tan Akihide Iwase Akihiko Kudo Rose Amal Sean C Smith Yun Hau Ng |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Particles and Catalysis Research Group, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia;2. Integrated Materials Design Centre, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia;3. Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia;4. Department of Applied Chemistry, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Efficient interfacial charge transfer is essential in graphene‐based semiconductors to realize their superior photoactivity. However, little is known about the factors (for example, semiconductor morphology) governing the charge interaction. Here, it is demonstrated that the electron transfer efficacy in reduced graphene oxide‐bismuth oxide (RGO/BiVO4) composite is improved as the relative exposure extent of {010}/{110} facets on BiVO4 increases, indicated by the greater extent of photocurrent enhancement. The dependence of charge transfer ability on the exposure degree of {010} relative to {110} is revealed to arise due to the difference in electronic structures of the graphene/BiVO4{010} and graphene/BiVO4{110} interfaces, as evidenced by the density functional theory calculations. The former interface is found to be metallic with higher binding energy and smaller Schottky barrier than that of the latter semiconducting interface. The facet‐dependent charge interaction elucidated in this study provides new aspect for design of graphene‐based semiconductor photocatalyst useful in manifold applications. |
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| Keywords: | bismuth vanadate electron transfer graphene photocatalysis photoelectrochemistry |
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