TY - JOUR
T1 - A sustainable molybdenum oxysulphide-cobalt phosphate photocatalyst for effectual solar-driven water splitting
AU - Iqbal, Naseer
AU - Khan, Ibrahim
AU - Ali, Asghar
AU - Qurashi, Ahsanullhaq
N1 - Funding Information:
Naseer Iqbal and Asghar Ali extend appreciation to Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR) University of Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia, for supporting them via Research Group Grant Project # G-118-2020. The authors greatly acknowledge the Center of Research Excellence in Nanotechnology, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, for experimental and characterization support.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - Introduction: Hydrogen is considered as a clean alternative green energy future fuel. Since the Honda-Fujishima effect for photoelectrochemical water splitting is known, there has been a substantial boost in this field. Numerous photocatalysts based on metals, semiconductors, and organic-inorganic hybrid-systems have been proposed. Several factors limit their efficiency, e.g., a stable PEC-WS setup, absorbing visible light, well-aligned band energy for charge transfer, electrons and holes, and their separation to avoid recombination and limited water redox reactions. Metallic doping and impregnation of stable and efficient co-catalysts such as Pt, Ag, and Au showed enhanced PEC-WS. We used Cobalt-based co-catalyst with molybdenum oxysulfide photocatalyst for effectual solar-driven water splitting. Objectives: To develop photocatalysts for efficient PEC processes capable of absorbing sufficient visible light, good band energy for effective charge transfer, inexpensive, significant solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiencies. Above all, it is developing such PEC-WS systems that will be commercially viable for renewable energy resources. Methods: We prepared Molybdenum oxysulphide-cobalt phosphate photocatalyst for PEC-WS through a facile hydrothermal route using ammonium heptamolybdate, thiourea, and metallic Cobalt precursors. Results: An effectual photocatalyst is produced for solar-driven water splitting. The conformal morphology of MoOxSy-CoPi nanoflowers is a significant feature, as observed under FE-SEM and HR-TEM. XRD confirmed the degree of purity and orthorhombic crystal structure of MoOxSy-CoPi. EDX and XPS identify the elemental compositions and corresponding oxidation states of each atom. A 2.44 eV band-gap energy is calculated for MoOxSy-CoPi from the diffused reflectance spectrum. Photo- Electrochemical Studies (PEC) under 1-SUN solar irradiation revealed 7-8 folds enhanced photocurrent (∼ 3.5 mA/cm2) generated from MoOxSy-CoPi/FTO in comparison to Co-PI/FTO (∼ 0.5 mA/cm2) and MoOxSy-/FTO respectively, within 0.5 M Na2SO4 electrolyte (@pH=7) and standard three electrodes electrochemical cell. Conclusion: Our results showed MoOxSy-CoPi as promising photocatalyst material for improved solar-driven photoelectrochemical water splitting system.
AB - Introduction: Hydrogen is considered as a clean alternative green energy future fuel. Since the Honda-Fujishima effect for photoelectrochemical water splitting is known, there has been a substantial boost in this field. Numerous photocatalysts based on metals, semiconductors, and organic-inorganic hybrid-systems have been proposed. Several factors limit their efficiency, e.g., a stable PEC-WS setup, absorbing visible light, well-aligned band energy for charge transfer, electrons and holes, and their separation to avoid recombination and limited water redox reactions. Metallic doping and impregnation of stable and efficient co-catalysts such as Pt, Ag, and Au showed enhanced PEC-WS. We used Cobalt-based co-catalyst with molybdenum oxysulfide photocatalyst for effectual solar-driven water splitting. Objectives: To develop photocatalysts for efficient PEC processes capable of absorbing sufficient visible light, good band energy for effective charge transfer, inexpensive, significant solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiencies. Above all, it is developing such PEC-WS systems that will be commercially viable for renewable energy resources. Methods: We prepared Molybdenum oxysulphide-cobalt phosphate photocatalyst for PEC-WS through a facile hydrothermal route using ammonium heptamolybdate, thiourea, and metallic Cobalt precursors. Results: An effectual photocatalyst is produced for solar-driven water splitting. The conformal morphology of MoOxSy-CoPi nanoflowers is a significant feature, as observed under FE-SEM and HR-TEM. XRD confirmed the degree of purity and orthorhombic crystal structure of MoOxSy-CoPi. EDX and XPS identify the elemental compositions and corresponding oxidation states of each atom. A 2.44 eV band-gap energy is calculated for MoOxSy-CoPi from the diffused reflectance spectrum. Photo- Electrochemical Studies (PEC) under 1-SUN solar irradiation revealed 7-8 folds enhanced photocurrent (∼ 3.5 mA/cm2) generated from MoOxSy-CoPi/FTO in comparison to Co-PI/FTO (∼ 0.5 mA/cm2) and MoOxSy-/FTO respectively, within 0.5 M Na2SO4 electrolyte (@pH=7) and standard three electrodes electrochemical cell. Conclusion: Our results showed MoOxSy-CoPi as promising photocatalyst material for improved solar-driven photoelectrochemical water splitting system.
KW - Hydrothermal Reaction Synthesis
KW - MoOS-CoPi nanoflowers
KW - Photocatalysis
KW - Water Splitting
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85113435455&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jare.2021.08.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jare.2021.08.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 35127161
AN - SCOPUS:85113435455
SN - 2090-1232
VL - 36
SP - 15
EP - 26
JO - Journal of Advanced Research
JF - Journal of Advanced Research
ER -