Determining the impact of crystal structure on water oxidation kinetics in metal oxide photoanodes

Water oxidation is the kinetic bottleneck in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. To improve the performance of PEC water oxidation, understanding of water oxidation mechanism must be ensured.

This project is to fundamentally study PEC water oxidation kinetics using different phases of Fe2O3 as a model system, and elucidate the relation between crystal structure, surface holes density, and kinetics of water oxidation.

The project will be conducted in the Department of Chemistry at Imperial College London (2021/03/01-2023/04/30), and in the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry at Stockholm University (2023/05/01-2024/02/29).

At Imperial College London, different phases of Fe2O3 nanoparticles and corresponding photoanode films will be prepared.

Photoinduced charge separation, recombination dynamics and kinetics of water oxidation will be studied by using operando spectroelectrochemical photoinduced absorption spectroscopy. Magnetic influence on PEC water oxidation kinetics in different Fe2O3 photoanodes will be also determined.

At Stockholm University, accurate atomic structure, local disorder, and potentially mixed with other phases in Fe2O3 nanoparticles will be identified by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and rotation electron diffraction.

Through this project, the impact of crystal structure on PEC water oxidation kinetics will be revealed, furthering the deep understanding of PEC water oxidation mechanism.