Graded catalytic-protective layer for an efficient and stable water-splitting photocathode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10532927-B2
Application number	US-201815865874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2018
Priority date	Jan 9, 2017
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a composition that includes, in order: a first layer that includes MAw; a second layer that includes MOyAz; and a third layer that includes MOx, where M includes a transition metal, A includes at least one of sulfur, selenium, and/or tellurium, w is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five, x is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five, y is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five, and z is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transition metal may include at least one of molybdenum and/or tungsten. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, A may be sulfur.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composition comprising, in order:
a first layer comprising MA w ;
a second layer comprising MO y A z ; and
a third layer comprising MO x , wherein:
M comprises a transition metal,
A comprises at least one of sulfur, selenium, or tellurium,
w is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five,
x is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five,
y is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five, and
z is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal comprises at least one of molybdenum or tungsten.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein A is sulfur.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises MoS w .

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the second layer comprises MoO y S z .

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the third layer comprises MoO x .

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein w is between greater than one and less than or equal to three.

8. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first transition layer positioned between the first layer and the second layer, wherein:
the transition layer contains intermixed MA w and MO y A z .

9. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first transition layer positioned between the second layer and the third layer, wherein:
the transition layer contains intermixed MO y A z and MO x .

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer are all at least partially intermixed.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer is at least partially crystalline.

12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the first layer has a thickness between 1 μm and 100 μm.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the second layer has a thickness between 1 μm and 100 μm.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the third layer has a thickness between 1 μm and 100 μm.

15. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising:
an oxide layer, wherein the third layer is positioned between the oxide layer and the second layer.

16. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the oxide layer comprises at least one of titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, or zinc oxide.

17. The composition of claim 15 , further comprising:
an active layer comprising a group III-V alloy, wherein the oxide layer is positioned between the active layer and third layer.

18. A method comprising, in order:
depositing a starting layer comprising MA v onto an oxide layer; and annealing the starting layer and the oxide layer, wherein:
v is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five, and
the annealing transforms the starting layer to a graded layer comprising, in order:
a first layer comprising MA w ;
a second layer comprising MO y A z ; and
a third layer comprising MO x , wherein:
M comprises a transition metal,
A comprises at least one of sulfur, selenium, or tellurium,
w is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five,
x is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five,
y is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five, and
z is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the depositing is performed by electrochemical cathodic deposition.

20. A method for photoelectrochemical water-splitting, the method comprising:
contacting a device with water; and
exposing the device to a lightsource, wherein:
the contacting and the exposing convert at least a portion of the water to hydrogen, and
the device comprises:
a first layer comprising MA w ;
a second layer comprising MO y A z ; and
a third layer comprising MO x , wherein:
A comprises a transition metal,
w is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five,
x is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five,
y is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five, and
z is between greater than zero and less than or equal to five.

Assignees

• Alliance Sustainable Energy

Inventors

• Turner John Augustus
• Gu Jing
• Aguiar Jeffery Andrew
• Ferrere Suzanne
• Steirer Kenneth Xerxes
• Yan Yong
• Xiao Chuanxiao
• Young James Luke
• Al-Jassim Mowafak
• Neale Nathan Richard

Classifications

• C01B3/042 Primary

  Decomposition of water (by electrolysis of water C25B1/04) · CPC title

• H01G9/2031

  comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2 (H01G9/2036 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C01B13/0207

  Water · CPC title

• H01G9/205

  comprising a semiconductor electrode comprising AIII-BV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials · CPC title

• B01J2523/00

  Constitutive chemical elements of heterogeneous catalysts · CPC title