Roles of Cocatalysts on BiVO4 Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation: A Minireview

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is regarded as a promising approach to solve the energy crisis by converting solar energy into hydrogen. The development of effective photoelectrodes is of important to increase the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency for practical application. Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is an outstanding photoanode material because of its relatively narrow band gap, suitable valence band position, and nontoxicity. However, severe charge recombination and slow reaction kinetics limit its PEC performance in the water splitting reaction. Loading cocatalysts on BiVO4 photoanodes has become an important and effective method to enhance PEC water oxidation performance. In this review, we summarize recent important works in coupling a cocatalyst with BiVO4 photoanodes for PEC water splitting reactions. Finally, the foremost challenges and some motivating prospects for future research on coupling cocatalysts with BiVO4 photoanodes materials are presented.