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Cobalt-Doped ZnO Nanorods Coated with Nanoscale Metal-Organic Framework Shells for Water-Splitting Photoanodes

Galan Gonzalez, Alejandro; Sivan, Aswathi K.; Hernández Ferrer, Javier; Bowen, Leon; Di Mario, Lorenzo; Martelli, Faustino; Benito, Ana M.; Maser, Wolfgang K.; Chaudhry, Mujeeb Ullah; Gallant, Andrew; Zeze, Dagou A.; Atkinson, Del

Cobalt-Doped ZnO Nanorods Coated with Nanoscale Metal-Organic Framework Shells for Water-Splitting Photoanodes Thumbnail


Authors

Alejandro Galan Gonzalez

Aswathi K. Sivan

Javier Hernández Ferrer

Leon Bowen leon.bowen@durham.ac.uk
Senior Manager (Electron Microscopy)

Lorenzo Di Mario

Faustino Martelli

Ana M. Benito

Wolfgang K. Maser



Abstract

Developing highly efficient and stable photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting electrodes via inexpensive, liquid phase processing is one of the key challenges for the conversion of solar energy into hydrogen for sustainable energy production. ZnO represents one the most suitable semiconductor metal oxide alternatives, owing to its high electron mobility, abundance and low-cost, although its performance is limited by its lack of absorption in the visible spectrum and reduced charge separation and charge transfer efficiency. Here, we present a solution-processed water splitting photoanode based on Co-doped ZnO nanorods (NRs) coated with a transparent functionalizing metal-organic framework (MOF). The light absorption of the ZnO NRs is engineered towards the visible region by Co-doping, while the MOF significantly improves the stability, and charge separation and transfer properties of the NRs. This synergetic combination of doping and nanoscale surface functionalization boosts the current density and functional lifetime of the photoanodes while achieving an unprecedented incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) of 75% at 350 nm, which is over two times that of pristine ZnO. A theoretical model and band structure for the core-shell nanostructure is provided, highlighting how this nanomaterial combination provides an attractive pathway for the design of robust and highly-efficient semiconductor-based photoanodes that can be translated to other semiconducting oxide systems.

Citation

Galan Gonzalez, A., Sivan, A. K., Hernández Ferrer, J., Bowen, L., Di Mario, L., Martelli, F., …Atkinson, D. (2020). Cobalt-Doped ZnO Nanorods Coated with Nanoscale Metal-Organic Framework Shells for Water-Splitting Photoanodes. ACS Applied Nano Material, 3(8), 7781-7788. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.0c01325

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 13, 2020
Online Publication Date Jul 15, 2020
Publication Date Aug 28, 2020
Deposit Date Jul 17, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal ACS applied nano materials.
Electronic ISSN 2574-0970
Publisher American Chemical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 3
Issue 8
Pages 7781-7788
DOI https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.0c01325

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Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Copyright Statement
This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the author and source are cited.





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