At present, silicon semiconductor-modified molecular catalysts have been found to serve as cathodes for the photoelectrochemical reduction of CO2. However, such composite spurs still face minimal kinetics and material stability issues.

Given this, Peng Yang et al. A report from Soochow University claims to construct a silicon photocathode by modifying the conductive graphene layer. After the catalyst is modified on n+-p Si, it covers the modified conductive graphene. The covalently modified graphene layer can enhance the transfer of photogenerated carriers between the photoelectrode and the catalyst and improve the stability of the electrode.

Main points of this article

Research points 1. Adjusting the stacking mode of cobalt electrodes by calcination treatment can further improve the electron transfer efficiency and photocatalytic activity. The graphene layer can serve as a protective layer for Si and a substrate for modified molecular catalysts.

Point 2. The stable photocurrent reached 1.65 mA cm-2 at -0.1 V vs RHE and 1 sun exposure for 16 hours. Compared with other molecular catalyst-modified CO2 electrochemical reduction photoelectrodes, significant progress has been made.

Wei, Su, Pan, Shen, Fan, Yang, Zhao Deng, Shen, Yang Peng, onto Si to CO2, . Chemistry. int. Ed. 2023

DOI: 10.1002/Annie.