(439b) Hydrogel Protection Strategy to Stabilize the Water-Splitting Photoelectrodes

Photoelectrochemical water splitting is an attractive solar-to-hydrogen pathway. However, the lifetime of photoelectrochemical devices is hampered by severe photocorrosion of semiconductors and instability of co-catalysts. Here we report a strategy for stabilizing photoelectrochemical devices that use a polyacrylamide hydrogel as a highly permeable and transparent device-on-top protector. A hydrogel-protected Sb₂Se₃ photocathode exhibits stability over 100 h, maintaining ~70% of the initial photocurrent, and the degradation rate gradually decreases to the saturation level. The structural stability of a Pt/TiO₂/Sb₂Se₃ photocathode remains unchanged beyond this duration, and effective bubble escape is ensured through the micro gas tunnel formed in the hydrogel to achieve a mechanically stable protector. We demonstrate the versatility of the device-on-top hydrogel protector under a wide electrolyte pH range and by using a SnS photocathode and a BiVO₄ photoanode with ~500 h of lifetime.