Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Peroxide Production from Water on a WO3 /BiVO4 Photoanode and from O2 on an Au Cathode Without External Bias.

The photoelectrochemical production and degradation properties of hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) were investigated on a WO3 /BiVO4 photoanode in an aqueous electrolyte of hydrogen carbonate (HCO3- ). High concentrations of HCO3- species rather than CO32- species inhibited the oxidative degradation of H2 O2 on the WO3 /BiVO4 photoanode, resulting in effective oxidative H2 O2 generation and accumulation from water (H2 O). Moreover, the Au cathode facilitated two-electron reduction of oxygen (O2 ), resulting in reductive H2 O2 production with high current efficiency. Combining the WO3 /BiVO4 photoanode with a HCO3- electrolyte and an Au cathode also produced a clean and promising design for a photoelectrode system specializing in H2 O2 production (ηanode (H2 O2 )≈50 %, ηcathode (H2 O2 )≈90 %) even without applied voltage between the photoanode and cathode under simulated solar light through a two-photon process; this achieved effective H2 O2 production when using an Au-supported porous BiVO4 photocatalyst sheet.