Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of ?-Fe2O3 photoanode modified with NiCo layered double hydroxide

It is an effective way to improve the photoanode photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance by loading appropriate cocatalyst. In this work, NiCo-LDH cocatalyst was prepared by hydrothermal method on alpha-Fe2O3 photoanode. The results show that with the loading of NiCo-LDH, the photocurrent of the alpha-Fe2O3/NiCo-LDH composite photoanode at 1.23 V vs. RHE is 0.428 mA/cm2, which is 4.75 times that of the pure alpha-Fe2O3 electrode. At time, the starting potential of the photoanode undergoes a negative shift of about 300 mV, effectively reducing the driving force required for water oxidation. In addition, the charge separation and transfer in the photoelectrode are significantly improved by the alpha-Fe2O3/NiCo-LDH heterojunction and the NiCo-LDH cocatalyst, and the charge transport are further promoted. These findings provide a feasible approach to improve the application of alpha-Fe2O3 photoanodes in PEC decomposition of water in the future.