Enhancement of photoelectrochemical performance in ferroelectric films via the introduction of an Au buffer layer

The inefficient separation of photogenerated carriers has become a serious problem that limits the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of semiconductors. Herein, a sol-gel method was used to prepare BiFeO3 ferroelectric thin films with FTO and FTO/Au as substrates, respectively. The polarization electric field of the ferroelectric can more effectively separate the carriers generated in the photoelectrode. Meanwhile, the introduction of an Au buffer layer can reduce the resistance in the process of charge transfer, accelerate the carrier migration, and enhance the efficiency of the charge separation. Under light irradiation, Au/BiFeO3 photoelectrode exhibited an extraordinary improvement in PEC water splitting compared with BiFeO3. In addition, the ferroelectric polarization electric field causes band bending, which further accelerates the separation of electrons and holes and improves the PEC performance of the photoelectrode. This work promotes the effective application of ferroelectric films in PEC water splitting.