Journal Article

Metal-encapsulated organolead halide perovskite photocathode for solar-driven hydrogen evolution in water

Pazos-Outón, Luis M., Kuehnel, Moritz F., Reisner, Erwin, Warnan, Julien, Crespo-Quesada, Micaela, Friend, Richard H.

2016

Overview

Lead-halide perovskites have triggered the latest breakthrough in photovoltaic technology. Despite the great promise shown by these materials, their instability towards water even in the presence of low amounts of moisture makes them, a priori , unsuitable for their direct use as light harvesters in aqueous solution for the production of hydrogen through water splitting. Here, we present a simple method that enables their use in photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen evolution while immersed in an aqueous solution. Field’s metal, a fusible InBiSn alloy, is used to efficiently protect the perovskite from water while simultaneously allowing the photogenerated electrons to reach a Pt hydrogen evolution catalyst. A record photocurrent density of −9.8 mA cm −2 at 0 V versus RHE with an onset potential as positive as 0.95±0.03 V versus RHE is obtained. The photoelectrodes show remarkable stability retaining more than 80% of their initial photocurrent for ∼1 h under continuous illumination. Lead-halide perovskites are sensitive to humidity, which limits their use in water splitting applications. Here, the authors protect the perovskite layer with Field’s metal, driving photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen evolution in an aqueous solution for approximately one hour under constant illumination.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 639/301/299/946 / 639/638/439/890 / 639/638/675 / Aqueous solutions / Energy consumption / Humanities and Social Sciences / Hydrogen / Hydrogen production / Light / Microscopy / multidisciplinary / Photovoltaics / Science / Science (multidisciplinary)