Enhancing Photoelectrochemical CO Reduction with Silicon Photonic Crystals

Overview

Journal Front Chem

Specialty Chemistry

Date 2024 Jan 3

PMID 38169620

Authors

Chu Zhou

Gaotian Zhang

Peiyuan Guo

Chenxi Ye

Zhenjun Chen

Ziyi Ma

Menglong Zhang

Jingbo Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The effectiveness of silicon (Si) and silicon-based materials in catalyzing photoelectrochemistry (PEC) CO reduction is limited by poor visible light absorption. In this study, we prepared two-dimensional (2D) silicon-based photonic crystals (SiPCs) with circular dielectric pillars arranged in a square array to amplify the absorption of light within the wavelength of approximately 450 nm. By investigating five sets of n + p SiPCs with varying dielectric pillar sizes and periodicity while maintaining consistent filling ratios, our findings showed improved photocurrent densities and a notable shift in product selectivity towards CH (around 25% Faradaic Efficiency). Additionally, we integrated platinum nanoparticles, which further enhanced the photocurrent without impacting the enhanced light absorption effect of SiPCs. These results not only validate the crucial role of SiPCs in enhancing light absorption and improving PEC performance but also suggest a promising approach towards efficient and selective PEC CO reduction.

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