Plasmon-Enhanced Charge Separation and Surface Reactions Based on Ag-Loaded Transition-Metal Hydroxide for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation

Coating photoanodes with transition-metal hydroxides (TMH) is a promising approach for improving photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. However, the present system still suffers from high charge recombination and sluggish surface reactions. Herein, effective charge separation is achieved at the same time as boosting the surface catalytic reaction for PEC water splitting through decoration of plasmon metal (Ag) in a semiconductor/TMH coupling system. The kinetic behavior at the semiconductor/TMH and TMH/electrolyte interfaces is systematically evaluated by employing intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy, scanning photoelectrochemical microscopy, and oxygen evolution reaction model. It is found that both charge transfer and surface catalysis dynamics are enhanced through local surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles. The as-prepared BiVO₄/Co(OH)_x-Ag exhibits remarkable activity (≈4.64 times) in PEC water splitting in comparison with pure BiVO_4. Notably, this smart approach can be also applied to other TMH (Ni(OH)₂), reflecting its universality. This work provides a guiding design method for solar energy conversion with the semiconductor-TMH system.