Electrosynthesis of Bismuth Vanadate Photoelectrodes

A two-step electrosynthesis strategy was conceived and demonstrated for the preparation of BiVO 4 films supported on Pt substrate. In the first step, a Bi film was electrodeposited on the substrate from an acidic BiCl 3 medium. In the second step, this film, after transfer to a medium containing (hydrolyzed) vanadium precursor, was anodically stripped to generate Bi 3 + . In situ precipitation then yielded BiVO 4 on the substrate. The film morphology and surface/bulk composition were probed by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photoelectrochemical data were consistent with the in situ formation of n-type semiconductor films with an energy bandgap of 2.14 eV.