Stable solar-driven oxidation of water by semiconducting photoanodes protected by transparent catalytic nickel oxide films

Ke Sun, Fadl H. Saadi, Michael F. Lichterman, William G. Hale, Hsinping Wang, Xinghao Zhou, Noah T. Plymale, Stefan T. Omelchenko, Jr-Hau He, Kimberly M. Papadantonakis, Bruce S. Brunschwig, Nathan S. Lewis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

185 Scopus citations

Abstract

Reactively sputtered nickel oxide (NiOx) films provide transparent, antireflective, electrically conductive, chemically stable coatings that also are highly active electrocatalysts for the oxidation of water to O2(g). These NiOx coatings provide protective layers on a variety of technologically important semiconducting photoanodes, including textured crystalline Si passivated by amorphous silicon, crystalline n-type cadmium telluride, and hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Under anodic operation in 1.0 M aqueous potassium hydroxide (pH 14) in the presence of simulated sunlight, the NiOx films stabilized all of these self-passivating, high-efficiency semiconducting photoelectrodes for >100 h of sustained, quantitative solar-driven oxidation of water to O2(g). © 2015, National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3612-3617
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Volume112
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 11 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Stable solar-driven oxidation of water by semiconducting photoanodes protected by transparent catalytic nickel oxide films'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this