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New Cu(I)-Based p-Type Semiconducting Metal Oxides for Solar-to-Fuel Conversion: Investigation and Challenges

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Materials and Processes for Solar Fuel Production

Part of the book series: Nanostructure Science and Technology ((NST,volume 174))

Abstract

The search for more efficient visible light materials for solar-driven hydrogen production has brought metal oxides into the light of renewed scientific attention due to its high stability. Traditionally various n-type metal oxides have been studied for the photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) application as a photoanode such as TiO2, because of its low cost, high-corrosion resistance, and suitable band structure (for UV light). More and more efforts are focused on the development of visible active n-type semiconducting metal oxides, while very few p-type semiconducting oxides are known for the solar-to-fuel conversion. The fact that p-type semiconductor actually acting as the photocathode in the photoelectrochemical cell, which generates hydrogen, encourages us to investigate new p-type semiconducting oxides and challenges associated with it. The emphasis of this chapter will be on the strategies to make p-type semiconducting oxides for solar-to-fuel conversion. The main focus will be on copper-based p-type metal oxides (copper niobates and copper tantalates), with respect to the structure–property relationship, dopant effect, and electronic structure calculations using density of state (DOS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Upendra A. Joshi

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  1. Upendra A. Joshi
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Correspondence to Upendra A. Joshi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Centre for Catalysis Research, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India

    Balasubramanian Viswanathan

  2. Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA

    Vaidyanathan (Ravi) Subramanian

  3. Pohang University of Science & Tech., Pohang, Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

    Jae Sung Lee

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Joshi, U.A. (2014). New Cu(I)-Based p-Type Semiconducting Metal Oxides for Solar-to-Fuel Conversion: Investigation and Challenges. In: Viswanathan, B., Subramanian, V., Lee, J. (eds) Materials and Processes for Solar Fuel Production. Nanostructure Science and Technology, vol 174. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1628-3_5

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