Efficient oxidative hydrogen peroxide production and accumulation in photoelectrochemical water splitting using a tungsten trioxide/bismuth vanadate photoanode

An aqueous solution of hydrogen carbonate (HCO3(-)) facilitated oxidative hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production from water on a WO3/BiVO4 photoanode with the simultaneous production of hydrogen (H2) on a Pt cathode even at an applied voltage far lower than the theoretical electrolysis voltage (+1.77 V vs. RHE) under simulated solar light. The unprecedentedly efficient simultaneous production and accumulation of H2O2 and H2 was achieved in 2.0 M KHCO3 at low temperature, and the maximum selectivity, accumulated concentration and turnover number (TON) of H2O2 generated reached ca. 54%, more than 2 mM and 108, respectively.