Light-induced Water Oxidation at Silicon Electrodes Functionalized with a Cobalt Oxygen-evolving Catalyst

Overview

Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Specialty Science

Date 2011 Jun 8

PMID 21646536

Citations 13

Authors

Joep J H Pijpers

Mark T Winkler

Yogesh Surendranath

Tonio Buonassisi

Daniel G Nocera

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Integrating a silicon solar cell with a recently developed cobalt-based water-splitting catalyst (Co-Pi) yields a robust, monolithic, photo-assisted anode for the solar fuels process of water splitting to O(2) at neutral pH. Deposition of the Co-Pi catalyst on the Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)-passivated p-side of a np-Si junction enables the majority of the voltage generated by the solar cell to be utilized for driving the water-splitting reaction. Operation under neutral pH conditions fosters enhanced stability of the anode as compared to operation under alkaline conditions (pH 14) for which long-term stability is much more problematic. This demonstration of a simple, robust construct for photo-assisted water splitting is an important step towards the development of inexpensive direct solar-to-fuel energy conversion technologies.

Citing Articles

Self-healing oxygen evolution catalysts.

Thorarinsdottir A, Veroneau S, Nocera D Nat Commun. 2022; 13(1):1243.

PMID: 35273163 PMC: 8913742. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28723-9.

Detection of high-valent iron species in alloyed oxidic cobaltates for catalysing the oxygen evolution reaction.

Li N, Hadt R, Hayes D, Chen L, Nocera D Nat Commun. 2021; 12(1):4218.

PMID: 34244515 PMC: 8270959. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24453-6.

Electrochemically Identified Ultrathin Water-Oxidation Catalyst in Neutral pH Solution Containing Ni and Its Combination with Photoelectrode.

Cho S, Chang J ACS Omega. 2019; 2(2):432-442.

PMID: 31457449 PMC: 6641076. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.6b00448.

On-Surface Cross Coupling Methods for the Construction of Modified Electrode Assemblies with Tailored Morphologies.

Gietter A, Pupillo R, Yap G, Beebe Jr T, Rosenthal J, Watson D Chem Sci. 2014; 4(1):437-443.

PMID: 25520772 PMC: 4266187. DOI: 10.1039/C2SC21413J.

Light-driven water oxidation for solar fuels.

Young K, Martini L, Milot R, Snoeberger III R, Batista V, Schmuttenmaer C Coord Chem Rev. 2014; 256(21-22):2503-2520.

PMID: 25364029 PMC: 4214930. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2012.03.031.

References

Nocera D . Personalized energy: the home as a solar power station and solar gas station. ChemSusChem. 2009; 2(5):387-90. DOI: 10.1002/cssc.200900040. View

Fujishima A, Honda K . Electrochemical photolysis of water at a semiconductor electrode. Nature. 1972; 238(5358):37-8. DOI: 10.1038/238037a0. View

Ananyev G, Zaltsman L, Vasko C, Dismukes G . The inorganic biochemistry of photosynthetic oxygen evolution/water oxidation. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000; 1503(1-2):52-68. DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2728(00)00215-2. View

Surendranath Y, Kanan M, Nocera D . Mechanistic studies of the oxygen evolution reaction by a cobalt-phosphate catalyst at neutral pH. J Am Chem Soc. 2010; 132(46):16501-9. DOI: 10.1021/ja106102b. View

Zhong D, Sun J, Inumaru H, Gamelin D . Solar water oxidation by composite catalyst/alpha-Fe(2)O(3) photoanodes. J Am Chem Soc. 2009; 131(17):6086-7. DOI: 10.1021/ja9016478. View

Surendranath Y, Dinca M, Nocera D . Electrolyte-dependent electrosynthesis and activity of cobalt-based water oxidation catalysts. J Am Chem Soc. 2009; 131(7):2615-20. DOI: 10.1021/ja807769r. View

Siegbahn P . An energetic comparison of different models for the oxygen evolving complex of photosystem II. J Am Chem Soc. 2009; 131(51):18238-9. DOI: 10.1021/ja908712a. View

Dinca M, Surendranath Y, Nocera D . Nickel-borate oxygen-evolving catalyst that functions under benign conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010; 107(23):10337-41. PMC: 2890790. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1001859107. View

Symes M, Surendranath Y, Lutterman D, Nocera D . Bidirectional and unidirectional PCET in a molecular model of a cobalt-based oxygen-evolving catalyst. J Am Chem Soc. 2011; 133(14):5174-7. DOI: 10.1021/ja110908v. View

10.

Walter M, Warren E, McKone J, Boettcher S, Mi Q, Santori E . Solar water splitting cells. Chem Rev. 2010; 110(11):6446-73. DOI: 10.1021/cr1002326. View

11.

Barber J . Biological solar energy. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2007; 365(1853):1007-23. DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2006.1962. View

12.

Kanan M, Nocera D . In situ formation of an oxygen-evolving catalyst in neutral water containing phosphate and Co2+. Science. 2008; 321(5892):1072-5. DOI: 10.1126/science.1162018. View

13.

Aro E, Virgin I, Andersson B . Photoinhibition of Photosystem II. Inactivation, protein damage and turnover. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1993; 1143(2):113-34. DOI: 10.1016/0005-2728(93)90134-2. View

14.

Betley T, Wu Q, Van Voorhis T, Nocera D . Electronic design criteria for O-O bond formation via metal-oxo complexes. Inorg Chem. 2008; 47(6):1849-61. DOI: 10.1021/ic701972n. View

15.

Khaselev , Turner . A monolithic photovoltaic-photoelectrochemical device for hydrogen production via water splitting . Science. 1998; 280(5362):425-7. DOI: 10.1126/science.280.5362.425. View

16.

Zhong D, Gamelin D . Photoelectrochemical water oxidation by cobalt catalyst ("Co-Pi")/alpha-Fe(2)O(3) composite photoanodes: oxygen evolution and resolution of a kinetic bottleneck. J Am Chem Soc. 2010; 132(12):4202-7. DOI: 10.1021/ja908730h. View

17.

Ono T . Metallo-radical hypothesis for photoassembly of (Mn)4-cluster of photosynthetic oxygen evolving complex. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000; 1503(1-2):40-51. DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2728(00)00226-7. View

18.

Risch M, Khare V, Zaharieva I, Gerencser L, Chernev P, Dau H . Cobalt-oxo core of a water-oxidizing catalyst film. J Am Chem Soc. 2009; 131(20):6936-7. DOI: 10.1021/ja902121f. View

19.

Lewis N, Nocera D . Powering the planet: chemical challenges in solar energy utilization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006; 103(43):15729-35. PMC: 1635072. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0603395103. View

20.

McAlpin J, Surendranath Y, Dinca M, Stich T, Stoian S, Casey W . EPR evidence for Co(IV) species produced during water oxidation at neutral pH. J Am Chem Soc. 2010; 132(20):6882-3. DOI: 10.1021/ja1013344. View