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Advanced Energy and Decarbonisation Office (AEDO)

ZrS₃ Nanobelts Photoanode With P-Type ZrOS as a Hole Collection Layer for Efficient and Stable Photoelectrochemical Water-Splitting

1 October 2026

Affiliation

NUS

Focus topic

Low-carbon H2 & Derivatives

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Summary

This invention presents a ZrS₃/ZrOS/NiOOH photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting to produce green hydrogen. A p-type ZrOS layer is uniformly formed on n-type ZrS₃ nanobelts via ozone treatment using atomic layer deposition (ALD), creating a buried n-p junction that simultaneously acts as a hole collection layer and a protective layer against photo corrosion.

Key quantitative achievements:

  1. Photocurrent density: 8.97 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V vs. RHE

  2. Applied Bias Photon-to-Current Efficiency (ABPE): 2.93% (peak 2.95% at 0.81 V_RHE)

  3. Charge separation efficiency: 70.19% at 1.23 V_RHE (vs. 22.6% for bare ZrS₃)

  4. IPCE: ~75% across UV-visible range, extending to ~680 nm

  5. Stability: >700 hours in alkaline solution (pH 13.6) with only ~7% photocurrent loss

  6. Faradaic efficiency: ~100% for hydrogen evolution

What makes this novel compared to best-in-class technology?

Unlike conventional approaches that trade off efficiency for stability, the ZrOS layer serves a dual function — acting as both a p-type hole extraction layer (forming a buried n-p junction) and a conformal protective coating. This eliminates the need for separate passivation layers, achieving simultaneously high efficiency and >700-hour stability using earth-abundant, non-toxic materials.

TRL Level

 1-3

Relevant for

  1. Green hydrogen producers seeking cost-effective solar-to-hydrogen conversion systems

  2. Renewable energy companies developing solar fuel technologies

  3. Electrochemical/PEC device manufacturers integrating photoanode components

  4. Energy storage companies exploring hydrogen as a storage medium

  5. Chemical manufacturers requiring on-site green hydrogen supply

About

NUS logo

Inventors: Chen Wei

Affiliation: National University of Singapore (NUS), Department of Chemistry

Contact NUS for licensing opportunities and more information.

Please quote ID ref [2023-220] in your email.