Tuning the surface Fermi level on p-type gallium nitride nanowires for efficient overall water splitting

M. G. Kibria; S. Zhao; F. A. Chowdhury; Q. Wang; H. P.T. Nguyen; M. L. Trudeau; H. Guo; Z. Mi

doi:10.1038/ncomms4825

Tuning the surface Fermi level on p-type gallium nitride nanowires for efficient overall water splitting

M. G. Kibria, S. Zhao, F. A. Chowdhury, Q. Wang, H. P.T. Nguyen, M. L. Trudeau, H. Guo, Z. Mi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Solar water splitting is one of the key steps in artificial photosynthesis for future carbon-neutral, storable and sustainable source of energy. Here we show that one of the major obstacles for achieving efficient and stable overall water splitting over the emerging nanostructured photocatalyst is directly related to the uncontrolled surface charge properties. By tuning the Fermi level on the nonpolar surfaces of gallium nitride nanowire arrays, we demonstrate that the quantum efficiency can be enhanced by more than two orders of magnitude. The internal quantum efficiency and activity on p-type gallium nitride nanowires can reach ∼51% and ∼4.0mol hydrogen h^-1 g^-1, respectively. The nanowires remain virtually unchanged after over 50,000 μmol gas (hydrogen and oxygen) is produced, which is more than 10,000 times the amount of photocatalyst itself (∼4.6 μmol). The essential role of Fermi-level tuning in balancing redox reactions and in enhancing the efficiency and stability is also elucidated.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	3825
Journal	Nature communications
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4825
State	Published - Apr 30 2014
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Physics and Astronomy

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title = "Tuning the surface Fermi level on p-type gallium nitride nanowires for efficient overall water splitting",

abstract = "Solar water splitting is one of the key steps in artificial photosynthesis for future carbon-neutral, storable and sustainable source of energy. Here we show that one of the major obstacles for achieving efficient and stable overall water splitting over the emerging nanostructured photocatalyst is directly related to the uncontrolled surface charge properties. By tuning the Fermi level on the nonpolar surfaces of gallium nitride nanowire arrays, we demonstrate that the quantum efficiency can be enhanced by more than two orders of magnitude. The internal quantum efficiency and activity on p-type gallium nitride nanowires can reach ∼51% and ∼4.0mol hydrogen h-1 g-1, respectively. The nanowires remain virtually unchanged after over 50,000 μmol gas (hydrogen and oxygen) is produced, which is more than 10,000 times the amount of photocatalyst itself (∼4.6 μmol). The essential role of Fermi-level tuning in balancing redox reactions and in enhancing the efficiency and stability is also elucidated.",

author = "Kibria, {M. G.} and S. Zhao and Chowdhury, {F. A.} and Q. Wang and Nguyen, {H. P.T.} and Trudeau, {M. L.} and H. Guo and Z. Mi",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Part of the work was performed in the Micro-fabrication Facility at McGill University. Electron microscopy images and analysis were carried out at IREQ of Hydro-Qu{\'e}bec and Facility for Electron Microscopy Research (FEMR), McGill University. The ARXPS and micro-Raman analysis were performed at McGill Institute for Advanced Materials (MIAM). We would like to acknowledge Professor M.P. Andrews and Mr T. Gonzales at McGill University for their help with micro-Raman measurements, and Dr J. Lefebvre at Universit{\'e} de Montr{\'e}al for her assistance in ARXPS data analysis.",

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AU - Kibria, M. G.

AU - Zhao, S.

AU - Chowdhury, F. A.

AU - Wang, Q.

AU - Nguyen, H. P.T.

AU - Trudeau, M. L.

AU - Guo, H.

AU - Mi, Z.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Part of the work was performed in the Micro-fabrication Facility at McGill University. Electron microscopy images and analysis were carried out at IREQ of Hydro-Québec and Facility for Electron Microscopy Research (FEMR), McGill University. The ARXPS and micro-Raman analysis were performed at McGill Institute for Advanced Materials (MIAM). We would like to acknowledge Professor M.P. Andrews and Mr T. Gonzales at McGill University for their help with micro-Raman measurements, and Dr J. Lefebvre at Université de Montréal for her assistance in ARXPS data analysis.

PY - 2014/4/30

Y1 - 2014/4/30

N2 - Solar water splitting is one of the key steps in artificial photosynthesis for future carbon-neutral, storable and sustainable source of energy. Here we show that one of the major obstacles for achieving efficient and stable overall water splitting over the emerging nanostructured photocatalyst is directly related to the uncontrolled surface charge properties. By tuning the Fermi level on the nonpolar surfaces of gallium nitride nanowire arrays, we demonstrate that the quantum efficiency can be enhanced by more than two orders of magnitude. The internal quantum efficiency and activity on p-type gallium nitride nanowires can reach ∼51% and ∼4.0mol hydrogen h-1 g-1, respectively. The nanowires remain virtually unchanged after over 50,000 μmol gas (hydrogen and oxygen) is produced, which is more than 10,000 times the amount of photocatalyst itself (∼4.6 μmol). The essential role of Fermi-level tuning in balancing redox reactions and in enhancing the efficiency and stability is also elucidated.

AB - Solar water splitting is one of the key steps in artificial photosynthesis for future carbon-neutral, storable and sustainable source of energy. Here we show that one of the major obstacles for achieving efficient and stable overall water splitting over the emerging nanostructured photocatalyst is directly related to the uncontrolled surface charge properties. By tuning the Fermi level on the nonpolar surfaces of gallium nitride nanowire arrays, we demonstrate that the quantum efficiency can be enhanced by more than two orders of magnitude. The internal quantum efficiency and activity on p-type gallium nitride nanowires can reach ∼51% and ∼4.0mol hydrogen h-1 g-1, respectively. The nanowires remain virtually unchanged after over 50,000 μmol gas (hydrogen and oxygen) is produced, which is more than 10,000 times the amount of photocatalyst itself (∼4.6 μmol). The essential role of Fermi-level tuning in balancing redox reactions and in enhancing the efficiency and stability is also elucidated.

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Tuning the surface Fermi level on p-type gallium nitride nanowires for efficient overall water splitting

Abstract

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