Large-area printing of ferroelectric surface and super-domains for efficient solar water splitting

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how large-area printed ferroelectric BiFeO3 surfaces with super-domains can significantly improve solar water splitting efficiency by enhancing charge separation and catalytic activity through controllable surface structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel large-area printing method for ferroelectric super-domains that enhances photocatalytic water splitting efficiency by controlling surface and interfacial properties.

Findings

Enhanced oxygen and hydrogen evolution due to band edge shifts.

Order of magnitude increase in photocurrent with ferroelectric super-domains.

Separation of reduction and oxidation catalytic sites improves charge separation.

Abstract

Surface electronic structures of the photoelectrodes determine the activity and efficiency of the photoelectrochemical water splitting, but the controls of their surface structures and interfacial chemical reactions remain challenging. Here, we use ferroelectric BiFeO3 as a model system to demonstrate an efficient and controllable water splitting reaction by large-area constructing the hydroxyls-bonded surface. The up-shift of band edge positions at this surface enables and enhances the interfacial holes and electrons transfer through the hydroxyl-active-sites, leading to simultaneously enhanced oxygen and hydrogen evolutions. Furthermore, printing of ferroelectric super-domains with microscale checkboard up/down electric fields separates the distribution of reduction/oxidation catalytic sites, enhancing the charge separation and giving rise to an order of magnitude increase of the photocurrent. This large-area printable ferroelectric surface and super-domains offer an alternative platform for controllable and high-efficient photocatalysis.