Publication date: 26th March 2026
The sustainable production of hydrogen through photoelectrochemical processes represents a key strategy for the development of solar fuels. In this work, we investigate the role of silver (Ag) nanocorals as cocatalysts on CuBi₂O₄ photocathodes for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). CuBi₂O₄ photocathodes were fabricated by electrodeposition and extensively characterized using electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption techniques, confirming their tetragonal structure and stoichiometric composition.
Ag nanocorals were deposited by physical vapor evaporation, resulting in a homogeneous distribution of nanoscale domains on the semiconductor surface. The Ag-modified photocathodes exhibited a significant enhancement in photocurrent density under simulated solar illumination compared to bare CuBi₂O₄ photocathodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed a decrease in charge transfer resistance and reduced carrier accumulation at the semiconductor–electrolyte interface.
Furthermore, steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL), together with transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS), demonstrated suppressed electron–hole recombination and prolonged carrier lifetimes in the presence of Ag. These results indicate that silver acts as an active cocatalyst, promoting efficient charge separation and extraction rather than merely passivating surface states.
Then, this study provides mechanistic insight into the role of Ag nanocorals in CuBi₂O₄-based photocathodes and demonstrates that their incorporation constitutes an effective strategy to improve photoelectrocatalytic performance. The proposed system emerges as a promising candidate for solar-driven hydrogen production and other photoelectroreduction reactions.
M.G.T. acknowledges the support of a fellowship from “la Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434). The fellowship code is LCF/BQ/PR23/11980046. M.G.T. also thank the RYC2023-044407-I, granted from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033and FSE+
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