Metal‐Free Artificial Photosynthesis of Carbon Monoxide Using N‐Doped ZnTe Nanorod Photocathode Decorated with N‐Doped Carbon Electrocatalyst Layer |
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| Authors: | Youn Jeong Jang Mahesh Datt Bhatt Jaehyuk Lee Sun Hee Choi Byeong Jun Lee Jae Sung Lee |
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| Affiliation: | 1. School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, South Korea;2. School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA;3. Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, South Korea |
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| Abstract: | An artificial photosynthesis system based on N‐doped ZnTe nanorods decorated with an N‐doped carbon electrocatalyst layer is fabricated via an all‐solution process for the selective conversion of CO2 to CO. Substitutional N‐doping into the ZnTe lattice decreases the bandgap slightly and improves the charge transfer characteristics, leading to enhanced photoelectrochemical activity. Remarkable N‐doping effects are also demonstrated by the N‐doped carbon layer that promotes selective CO2‐to‐CO conversion instead of undesired water‐to‐H2 reduction by providing active sites for CO2 adsorption and activation, even in the absence of metallic redox centers. The photocathode shows promising performance in photocurrent generation (?1.21 mA cm?2 at ?0.11 VRHE), CO selectivity (dominant CO production of ≈72%), minor H2 reduction (≈20%), and stability (corrosion suppression). The metal‐free electrocatalyst/photocatalyst combination prepared via a cost‐effective solution process exhibits high performance due to synergistic effects between them, and thus may find application in practical solar fuel production. |
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| Keywords: | artificial photosynthesis N‐doped carbon electrocatalysts photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction zinc telluride photocathode |
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