A dye-free photoelectrochemical solar cell based on BiVO4 with a long lifetime of photogenerated carriers

A dye-free photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar cell based on BiVO4 oxide film was developed. Without a bias, a high incident photo-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 43% was obtained and the solar energy conversion efficiency of the cell was 14 times higher than the record efficiency of Fe2O3 PEC solar cells. Ultra-fast transient absorption spectroscopy was utilized to investigate the mechanism of the different photoelectric performances. The results revealed that there was a longer lifetime of photogenerated carriers in BiVO4 than that in Fe2O3. It was helpful to develop other suitable photoelectrode materials for dye-free PEC solar cells.

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► A dye-free PEC solar cell based on BiVO4 oxide film.
► An IPCE of 43%.
► The efficiency is 14 times higher than the record efficiency of Fe2O3 solar cells.
► Ultra-fast transient absorption spectroscopy was used to investigate the mechanism.
► There is a longer lifetime of photogenerated carriers in BiVO4 than that in Fe2O3.