Hydrogen Production with Oxide Semiconductors

Abstract

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting can produce hydrogen gas as a means to store and transport renewable energy. One method of PEC water splitting uses n-type semiconductors made of metal oxides. We created oxide semiconductors by combining different ratios of metal solutions and heating them in air. The photocurrent production and catalytic activity were measured using SEAL and HARPOON experiments, respectively. Among the semiconductors tested in this study, bismuth vanadate with tungsten oxide (BiV-W) produced the best results at a 9:2 ratio, and bismuth vanadate with iron and nickel oxides (BiV-FeNi) produced the best results with a 0:1 ratio. Between these two semiconductors, BiV-W outperformed BiV-FeNi.