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Electrochemical and Solid State Letters, Vol.13, No.5, D29-D32, 2010
Electrosynthesis of Bismuth Vanadate Photoelectrodes
A two-step electrosynthesis strategy was conceived and demonstrated for the preparation of BiVO4 films supported on Pt substrate. In the first step, a Bi film was electrodeposited on the substrate from an acidic BiCl3 medium. In the second step, this film, after transfer to a medium containing (hydrolyzed) vanadium precursor, was anodically stripped to generate Bi3+. In situ precipitation then yielded BiVO4 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.
Keywords:bismuth compounds;electrochemical electrodes;electrodeposition;electrodeposits;photoelectrochemistry;platinum;precipitation;scanning electron microscopy;semiconductor thin films;X-ray chemical analysis;X-ray photoelectron spectra