Rational Design of NiFeO X and Cobalt‐Integrated Hydroxyapatite Nanoarchitecture on BiVO 4 Photoanode for Enhanced and Durable Solar to Water Oxidation

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Authors: Madhusudana Gopannagari, Inae Song, K. Arun Joshi Reddy, Haneol Oh, Tae Gyun Woo, H. Khai, S.M. Cho, A. Putta Rangappa, D. Praveen Kumar, Sai Kishore Ravi, Tae Wu Kim, Yuexing Zhang
+2 more J. Christina Wang, Tae Kyu Kim
Cited by: 3
References: 76

Abstract

ABSTRACT Solar‐driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting offers a sustainable route to solar‐to‐fuel conversion; however, its practical application is hindered by sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics and severe surface charge recombination. BiVO 4 (BVO) is a promising photoanode material but suffers from inefficient charge separation and limited operational stability. Herein, we report a dual‐catalyst strategy in which cobalt‐incorporated hydroxyapatite (Co‐HAP) is synergistically integrated with NiFeO X nanosheets to simultaneously enhance OER activity and durability. The optimized BVO/NiFeO X /Co‐HAP photoanode achieves a photocurrent density of 6.36 mA·cm −2 at 1.23 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) under AM 1.5G illumination in neutral phosphate electrolyte, nearly sevenfold higher than pristine BVO. Comprehensive analyses reveal that the NiFeO X /Co‐HAP nanosheet framework promotes efficient interfacial charge extraction, establishes a favorable surface electric field, and suppresses hole‐electron recombination. The 2D nanoarchitecture provides abundant Co active sites, while interfacial NiFeO X accelerates hole extraction and facilitates electron transfer from Ni to V sites, thereby mitigating V 5+ dissolution. Notably, the photoanode demonstrates extended operational stability of ≈120 h in a phosphate electrolyte. This work highlights a robust design strategy that leverages the synergistic ion‐exchange capacity of HAP and the charge‐extraction ability of NiFe catalysts to advance efficient and durable PEC water‐splitting systems.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques Iron oxide chemistry and applications TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells

Publication details

Journal / source
Advanced Energy Materials
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
16
Issue
15
Publication date
10 February 2026
Language
EN