Authors
Chengzhuo Li, Jifang Zhang, Meng Liu, Haifeng Wang, Zihao Zhang, Yao Xu, Jiaming Zhang, Ke Shi, Xiaowei Tao, Yongbo Kuang, Guijun Ma
Published in
The journal of physical chemistry letters. Volume 17. Issue 32. Pages 9364-9371. Aug 13, 2026.
Abstract
Illumination treatment is frequently employed to modify the surface and/or bulk properties of photoelectrodes. This strategy has been demonstrated to be particularly effective in improving the photoelectrochemical performance of bismuth vanadate (BiVO4), a promising photoanode material. However, the mechanistic role of this treatment remains elusive. Here we show that in-air illumination induces surface transformation in BiVO4 photoanodes, doubling the photocurrent for water oxidation. Through spectroscopic and photoelectrochemical techniques, we find that the illumination process suppresses surface-state-mediated charge recombination and is accompanied by the formation of oxygen-vacancy-related paramagnetic centers and increased surface hydroxylation. The increased surface hydroxylation is associated with longer-lived surface holes and accelerated oxygen-evolution kinetics, leading to overall performance gains. These findings offer new insight into the longstanding ambiguities surrounding the effects of illumination treatment on tailoring surface charge dynamics and enhancing light conversion efficiency of BiVO4 photoanodes.
PMID:
42593336
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 13 Aug 2026.
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