@article {Kim:2014:2326-3040:339,
title = "BiVO4-Based Heterostructured Photocatalysts for Solar Water Splitting: A Review",
journal = "Energy and Environment Focus",
parent_itemid = "infobike://asp/eef",
publishercode ="asp",
year = "2014",
volume = "3",
number = "4",
publication date ="2014-12-01T00:00:00",
pages = "339-353",
itemtype = "ARTICLE",
issn = "2326-3040",
url = "https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asp/eef/2014/00000003/00000004/art00004",
doi = "doi:10.1166/eef.2014.1121",
keyword = "BIVO4 HETEROSTRUCTURES, CO-CATALYST, CHARGE SEPARATION, CHARGE MEDIATORS, HETEROJUNCTION",
author = "Kim, Jin Hyun and Lee, Jae Sung",
abstract = "Hydrogen is a clean and storable energy carrier of the future when it is produced from a renewable energy source via a CO2-neutal process. Solar water splitting is such a renewable and sustainable energy production method utilizing sun light and water, the most abundant resources
on earth. Among conceived solar hydrogen production methods, the photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell is most promising, in which the semiconductor photoelectrodes have to satisfy a number of requirements; a proper band gap energy for strong visible light absorption, band edge positions enabling
oxidation or reduction of water, chemical and electrochemical stability in water under illumination, fast transport of the photo-generated electrons and holes in the semiconductor, low over-potentials for the electrode reactions, and low cost. Monoclinic BiVO4 satisfies many of
these material requirements; a moderate band gap (2.4 eV) that allows 9.2% of theoretical solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency, fine hole conductivity, good stability in neutral electrolytes, low price, and environmentally benign characteristics. But it also has critical drawbacks of poor
electron transfer and sluggish water oxidation kinetics. Formation of heterostructures is a simple but effective strategy to improve the performance of BiVO4-based photocatalysts in light harvesting, long term stability and solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency in solar
water splitting. This article reviews three types of heterostructures to modify BiVO4 including formation of heterojunctions with another semiconductor, addition of a charge transfer mediator, and loading a co-catalyst, which lead to great performance improvement in PEC water splitting.
In all cases, improved performance comes from suppressed electronhole recombination by facilitated charge separation in various interfaces along the charge transfer pathways. Only a limited number of selected examples are discussed that could provide good illustration of the underlying
concepts and recent developments.",
}