Characterizing a Polycrystalline CuInTe2 Photocathode for Efficient Photoelectrochemical H2 Evolution

Abstract

The progression of global warming has made curbing carbon emissions a pressing concern, and one leading way to do so is by finding new potential fuel candidates like H2. In the past other semiconductor electrodes have showed great promise in the creation of an efficient H2 evolution system, but have faced thermodynamic, kinetic, and stability barriers. CuInTe2 offers an unexplored possibility that would combine the success of its sister compounds CuInS2 and CuInSe2 due to its favorable band gap, while mitigating any resistivity concerns that arose from its predecessors.While single crystal CuInTe2 has been tested, polycrystalline CuInTe2, a potentially more economical and practical alternative, has not. The resistivity, stability, and efficiency of the polycrystalline CuInTe2 photocathode was explored through a series of photoelectrochemical criteria, such as dark, illuminated, and chopped-light Linear Sweep Voltammagrams (LSVs). Unfortunately, these LSVs revealed behavior consistent with photocorrosion, which was reiterated through findings from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) images.