ChemSusChem (Journal)

Kaijian Zhu (Editor)
Mul, G. (Editor)
Huijser, A. (Editor in chief)

Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Publication Peer-review

Description

CuBO2: a potential alternative for NiO as a hole acceptor layer

Period	14 Sept 2023
Type of journal	Journal
ISSN	1864-5631
Degree of Recognition	International

Keywords

Photocathode
hole transport layer
photodynamics
p-type semiconductor
CuBo2

Documents & Links

cssc202300800-s1-supporting_information
File: application/pdf, 1.31 MB
Type: Text

https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202300800
Abstract P-type metal oxides, and in particular NiO, are typically used as hole accepting layers in dye-sensitized photocathodes. Delafossites (CuMO2) with M=B, Al, Cr or Ga have recently been proposed as attractive substitutes for NiO, with theoretically a higher hole mobility than NiO, and therefore allowing a higher efficiency when the photocathode is applied in solar to fuel devices. We have experimentally validated the photoelectrochemical performance of photocathodes consisting of nanoporous CuBO2 (CBO) on Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide substrates, photosensitized with a light absorbing P1 dye. Femtosecond transient absorption and time-resolved photoluminescence studies show that light-induced hole injection occurs from the P1 dye into the CBO in a few ps, comparable to the time constant observed for NiO-based photocathodes. Importantly, the CBO-based photocathode shows significantly slower charge recombination than the NiO-based analogue. These results illustrate the promise of CBO as a p-type semiconductor in solar energy conversion devices.