Colloidal carbon quantum dots as light absorber for efficient and stable ecofriendly photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation Show others and affiliations
2021 (English) In: Nano Energy, ISSN 2211-2855, E-ISSN 2211-3282, Vol. 86, article id 106122Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Solar-driven hydrogen production is one of the most promising strategies for solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion. Compared to inorganic quantum dots (QDs), carbon quantum dots (C-dots) have attracted a lot of attention for optoelectronic devices due to their structure-dependent optical properties and green composition. However, the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of most of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices based on colloidal QDs is still low. Here we demonstrated a highly efficient and stable ecofriendly PEC device using C-dots sensitized TiO2 photoanode, Pt loaded on carbon nanofibers as counter electrode, and glucose aqueous solution as electrolyte. The red-color C-dots were prepared using a solvothermal reaction, with an absorption spectrum ranging from 300 to 600 nm and a quantum yield (QY) of 50%. The C-dots have excitation independent photoluminescence peak positions and highly crystalline structure. The hydroxyl group on the C-dots can strongly interact with the TiO2 , forming a very stable complex. Benefiting from these features, the PEC devices based on C-dots exhibit a saturated photocurrent density as high as ~4 mA/cm2 at 0.6 V vs. RHE and the device is very stable (keeping 95% of its initial value after 10-hour illumination upon 100 mW/cm2 ). This work indicates the promising properties of the C-dots/TiO2 system, which holds huge potential for applications in the fields of optoelectronic and catalytic devices.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages Elsevier, 2021. Vol. 86, article id 106122
Keywords [en]
Carbon quantum dots, Photoelectrochemical cells, Glucose, Hydrogen evolution, Water splitting
National Category
Other Physics Topics
Research subject Experimental Physics
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-84317 DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2021.106122 ISI: 000672564900002 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85105724450 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-84317 DiVA, id: diva2:1555053
Funder The Kempe Foundations Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation ÅForsk (Ångpanneföreningen's Foundation for Research and Development)
Note Validerad;2021;Nivå 2;2021-05-17 (beamah);
Forskningsfinansiärer: Shandong Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholar (ZR2020JQ20); National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2019YFE0121600); State Key Laboratory of Bio-Fibers and Eco-Textiles (Qingdao University), No. ZKT03, No. ZFZ201807, and No. GZRC202004
2021-05-172021-05-172021-12-13 Bibliographically approved