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Nano Research 2018, 11(2): 642-655 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1669-1
Research Article | Issue | Published: 09 June 2017

Domain-engineered BiFeO3 thin-film photoanodes for highly enhanced ferroelectric solar water splitting

Show Author's Information Jaesun Song1,  Taemin Ludvic Kim2,  Jongmin Lee1,  Sam Yeon Cho3,  Jaeseong Cha1,  Sang Yun Jeong1,  Hyunji An1,  Wan Sik Kim1,  Yen-Sook Jung1,  Jiyoon Park1,  Gun Young Jung1,  Dong-Yu Kim1,  Ji Young Jo1,  Sang Don Bu3,  Ho Won Jang2( ),  Sanghan Lee1( )
School of Materials Science and EngineeringGwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)Gwangju61005Republic of Korea
Department of Materials Science and EngineeringResearch Institute of Advanced MaterialsSeoul National UniversitySeoul08826Republic of Korea
Department of PhysicsChonbuk National UniversityJeonju54896Republic of Korea
Keywords:
BiFeO3, ferroelectric, orientation, photoelectrochemical, domain, pulsed laser deposition
Cite this article:
Song J, Kim TL, Lee J, et al. Domain-engineered BiFeO3 thin-film photoanodes for highly enhanced ferroelectric solar water splitting. Nano Research, 2018, 11(2): 642-655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1669-1
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

In photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, charge separation and collection by the electric field in the photoactive material are the most important factors for improved conversion efficiency. Hence, ferroelectric oxides, in which electrons are the majority carriers, are considered promising photoanode materials because their high built-in potential, provided by their spontaneous polarization, can significantly enhance the separation and drift of photogenerated carriers. In this regard, the PEC properties of BiFeO3 thin-film photoanodes with different crystallographic orientations and consequent ferroelectric domain structures are investigated. As the crystallographic orientation changes from (001)pc via (110)pc to (111)pc, the ferroelastic domains in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films become mono-variant and the spontaneous polarization levels increase to 110 μC/cm2. Consequently, the photocurrent density at 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl increases approximately 5.3-fold and the onset potential decreases by 0.180 V in the downward polarization state. It is further demonstrated that ferroelectric switching in the (111)pc BiFeO3 thin-film photoanode leads to an approximate change of 8, 000% in the photocurrent density and a 0.330 V shift in the onset potential. This study strongly suggests that domain-engineered ferroelectric materials can be used as effective charge separation and collection layers for efficient solar water-splitting photoanodes.


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About this article

Domain-engineered BiFeO3 thin-film photoanodes for highly enhanced ferroelectric solar water splitting

Show Author's information Jaesun Song1, Taemin Ludvic Kim2, Jongmin Lee1, Sam Yeon Cho3, Jaeseong Cha1, Sang Yun Jeong1, Hyunji An1, Wan Sik Kim1, Yen-Sook Jung1, Jiyoon Park1, Gun Young Jung1, Dong-Yu Kim1, Ji Young Jo1, Sang Don Bu3, Ho Won Jang2( ), Sanghan Lee1( )
School of Materials Science and EngineeringGwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)Gwangju61005Republic of Korea
Department of Materials Science and EngineeringResearch Institute of Advanced MaterialsSeoul National UniversitySeoul08826Republic of Korea
Department of PhysicsChonbuk National UniversityJeonju54896Republic of Korea

Abstract

In photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, charge separation and collection by the electric field in the photoactive material are the most important factors for improved conversion efficiency. Hence, ferroelectric oxides, in which electrons are the majority carriers, are considered promising photoanode materials because their high built-in potential, provided by their spontaneous polarization, can significantly enhance the separation and drift of photogenerated carriers. In this regard, the PEC properties of BiFeO3 thin-film photoanodes with different crystallographic orientations and consequent ferroelectric domain structures are investigated. As the crystallographic orientation changes from (001)pc via (110)pc to (111)pc, the ferroelastic domains in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films become mono-variant and the spontaneous polarization levels increase to 110 μC/cm2. Consequently, the photocurrent density at 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl increases approximately 5.3-fold and the onset potential decreases by 0.180 V in the downward polarization state. It is further demonstrated that ferroelectric switching in the (111)pc BiFeO3 thin-film photoanode leads to an approximate change of 8, 000% in the photocurrent density and a 0.330 V shift in the onset potential. This study strongly suggests that domain-engineered ferroelectric materials can be used as effective charge separation and collection layers for efficient solar water-splitting photoanodes.

Keywords: BiFeO3, ferroelectric, orientation, photoelectrochemical, domain, pulsed laser deposition

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Publication history
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Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 07 March 2017
Revised: 02 May 2017
Accepted: 07 May 2017
Published: 09 June 2017
Issue date: February 2018

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany 2017

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Basic Science Research Program (No. NRF-2014R1A1A2053552) and the Future Material Discovery Program (No. NRF-2016M3D1A1027666) through the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the International Energy Joint R & D Program through the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (No. 20168510011350), and by the GIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology) Research Institute (GRI) Project through a grant provided by GIST in 2016.

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