Study of group-IVB metal doped BiVO4 thin-films for development of a highly efficient Z-Scheme photocatalyst

2018 Fiscal Year Research-status Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K05010
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: ISLAM MONIRUL 筑波大学, 数理物質系, 助教 (30739719)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 櫻井 岳暁 筑波大学, 数理物質系, 准教授 (00344870) ; 池田 茂 甲南大学, 理工学部, 教授 (40312417)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: Bismuth Valadium Oxide / Photo-activities / Optical Properties / Structural Properties / Crystal properties / Electrical properties

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

(1) Undoped BiVO4 and molybdenum (Mo), zirconium (Zr) and titanium (Ti)-doped powder and films were synthesized by solution method. a) Crystal structure of BiVO4, studied by XRD shows small doping (Mo, Zr) until 0.5 mol.% keep monoclinic-structure like undoped-BiVO4. Doping > 0.5 mol.% triggers monoclinic to tetragonal structure. b) Optical Properties studied by Kelvin probe (KP) shows slightly lower band-gap in Mo and Zr doped sample. c)Low-doped BiVO4 (< 0.5 mol %) shows higher oxygen generation (improved photo-catalytic activities) comparing to undoped and high-doped BiVO4.
(2) Growth temperature variation: Photoluminescence (PL) shows improved crystallinity with larger carrier life-time, and better photo-activities for BiVO4 synthesized at higher temperature until 100 deg C. (3) Deposition and characterization of chalcopyrite p-Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4,p-Cu(In,Ga)Se2 films,and silicon films for Z-scheme photocatalyst with n-BiVO4.

Current Status of Research Progress

1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.

Reason

We have set the target for FY 2018 as to synthesis of Zr doped BiVO4 only and to investigate structural, electrical and optical characterization. However, we have already synthesized Zr, Mo and Ti doped BiVO4 samples. In addition to perform various characterization of the doped samples, we have already performed photocatalytic activities by evaluating oxygen generation through fabrication of electrochemical based photocatalytic system using the doped and undoped BiVO4 materials. In addition we have deposited chalcopyrite p-Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4, p-Cu(In,Ga)Se2, and also silicon films to fabricate Z-scheme photocatalyst structure with n-BiVO4 film.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

1) Deposition of BiVO4 thin films by evaporation method, specially using sputtering or molecular beam epitaxy. BiVO4 photo-anodes by vacuum system are expected to show superior electrical and optical properties with higher carrier and larger carrier life time.
2) Vacuum deposition of doped BiVO4 films with Zr, Mo and also hafnium (Hf).
3) Crystal, optical and electrical characterization of vacuum deposited BiVO4 films using XRD, PL, TRPL, Raman, Hall method.
4) Electrical properties of BiVO4 using electrochemical analyzer.
5) Understanding photodynamics of doped and undoped BiVO4 films using temperature dependent PL measurement.6) Photocatalytic activities of BiVO4 using electrochemical based system.7) fabrication and characterization of p-CuZnSn(S,Se) for Z-scheme structure with BiVO4 films.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Effects of Zirconium Doping Into a Monoclinic Scheelite BiVO4 Crystal on Its Structural, Photocatalytic, and Photoelectrochemical Properties (2018)
  • Author(s): Ikeda Shigeru、Kawaguchi Takato、Higuchi Yui、Kawasaki Naoto、Harada Takashi、Remeika Mikas、Islam Muhammad M.、Sakurai Takeaki
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Chemistry Volume: 6 Pages: 266 (1-6)
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2018.00266
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Deep level emission in polycrystalline CuGaSe2 thin-films observed by micro-photoluminescence (2018)
  • Author(s): Islam Muhammad Monirul、Wang Shenghao、Ishizuka Shogo、Shibata Hajime、Niki Shigeru、Akimoto Katsuhiro、Sakurai Takeaki
  • Journal Title: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics Volume: 57 Pages: 08RC02～08RC02
  • DOI: 10.7567/JJAP.57.08RC02
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Characterization of Defect Properties in Wide-Gap CuGaSe2 Thin-Film Solar-Cells (2018)
  • Author(s): Islam Muhammad Monirul、Ishizuka Shogo、Shibata Hajime、Niki Shigeru、Akimoto Katsuhiro、Sakurai Takeaki
  • Journal Title: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Letters Volume: 10 Pages: 559～564
  • DOI: 10.1166/nnl.2018.2672
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Impurities removal process for high-purity silica production from diatomite (2018)
  • Author(s): Abdellaoui Imane、Islam Muhammad Monirul、Sakurai Takeaki、Hamzaoui Saad、Akimoto Katsuhiro
  • Journal Title: Hydrometallurgy Volume: 179 Pages: 207～214
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.hydromet.2018.06.009
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Relationship between bandgap grading and carrier recombination for Cu(In,Ga)Se2-based solar cells (2018)
  • Author(s): Ando Yuta、Ishizuka Shogo、Wang Shenghao、Chen Jingdong、Islam Muhammad Monirul、Shibata Hajime、Akimoto Katsuhiro、Sakurai Takeaki
  • Journal Title: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics Volume: 57 Pages: 08RC08～08RC08
  • DOI: 10.7567/JJAP.57.08RC08
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Influence of potassium treatment on electronic properties of Cu(In1-xGax)(Se1-ySy)2 solar cells studied by steady state photo-capacitance and admittance spectroscopy (2018)
  • Author(s): Wang Shenghao、Hao Xia、Islam Muhammad Monirul、Kato Takuya、Sugimoto Hiroki、Akimoto Katsuhiro、Sakurai Takeaki
  • Journal Title: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics Volume: 57 Pages: 08RC13～08RC13
  • DOI: 10.7567/JJAP.57.08RC13
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Relationship between synthesis temperature and the photocatalytic activity of BiVO4 (2019)
  • Author(s): A. Imane, Kazuya Tajima, Mikas Remeika, Shigeru Ikeda, Takato Kawaguchi, Muhamed Islam Monirul, Takeaki Sakurai
  • Organizer: 2019年第66応用物理学会 春季学術講演会
• [Presentation] Enhanced photocatalytic activity of monoclinic BiVO4 via Zr doping. (2019)
  • Author(s): K. Tajima, I. Abdellaoui, M. Remeika, S. Ikeda, T. Kawaguchi, M.M. Islam, T. Maeda, T. Kusumoto, T. Wada, C. Budich, T. Sakurai
  • Organizer: 甲南学園100周年記念国際科学シンポジム
• [Presentation] Structural and Electrical Properties of Zr doped ms-BiVO4. (2018)
  • Author(s): I. Abdellaoui, K. Tajima, M. Remeika, S. Ikeda, T. Kawaguchi, M.M. Islam, T. Maeda, T. Kusumoto, T. Wada, C. Budich, T. Sakurai
  • Organizer: 多元系化合物・太陽電池研究会 年末講演会
• [Presentation] Effect of zirconium doping on the structural and optical properties of BiVO4 (2018)
  • Author(s): I. Abdellaoui, M. Remeika, S. Ikeda, T. Kawaguchi, M.M. Islam, T. Maeda, T. Kusumoto, T. Wada, C. Budich, T. Sakurai
  • Organizer: 2018年第79応用物理学会 秋季学術講演会
• [Presentation] Photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of zirconium-doped bismuth vanadate (2018)
  • Author(s): Takato Kawaguchi, Yui Higuchi,a Naoto Kawasaki, Takashi Harada, Mikas Remeika, Muhammad Monirul Islam, Takeaki Sakurai, and Shigeru Ikeda
  • Organizer: The 8th Tokyo Conference on Advanced Catalytic Science and Technology (TOCAT8)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Photoluminescence Study of Alkali-doped Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 materials (2018)
  • Author(s): Muhammad Monirul Islam, Shenghao Wang, Takuya Kato, Hiroki Sugimoto, Katsuhiro Akimoto, Takeaki Sakurai
  • Organizer: Conference: 21st International Conference on Ternary and Multinary CompoundsAt: Boulder, Colorado, USA
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Study of Defects in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2-based Solar Cells (2018)
  • Author(s): Takeaki Sakurai, J. Chen, Shenghao Wang, Muhammad Monirul Islam, Katsuhiro Akimoto, Yoshiaki Hirai, Takuya Kato, Hiroki Sugimoto,
  • Organizer: International Conference on Electronic Materials 2018, Daejeon, Korea
  • Int'l Joint Research