In June 2026, the Journal of Energy Chemistry published the work of Prof. Yan Junqing's group at Shaanxi Normal University (first author: Tian Kai'ge; corresponding authors: Yan Junqing and Li Youyong; DOI: 10.1016/j.jechem.2026.05.061).
The oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) on photoanodes involves a complex four-electron transfer and is the key bottleneck of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. BiVO4 is attractive for its ~2.4 eV band gap and favorable band position, but its intrinsic hole mobility is extremely low, so photogenerated holes recombine or accumulate at the NiOx/BiVO4 interface.
For the first time, a sodium lauryl sulfonate-doped polypyrrole (SLS-PPy) molecular functional layer was introduced as an interface modifier, constructing a new NiOx/SLS-PPy/BiVO4 sandwich photoanode. The step-like band alignment of the SLS-PPy layer eliminates the interfacial hole-transport barrier between BiVO4 and NiOx.
The SLS-PPy layer induces Ni2+ in NiOx to convert to highly active Ni3+ and lowers the Ni2+/Ni3+ oxidation potential through an interfacial dipole effect, substantially accelerating water-oxidation kinetics.
PEC measurements used the Perfectlight PLS-FX300HU High-Homogeneity Xenon Lamp for uniform illumination of photoelectrodes.
Read the Chinese report: JEC: SLS-PPy interlayer on BiVO4.
