Shape Controlled Synthesis of Copper Vanadate Platelet Nanostructures, Their Optical Band Edges, and Solar-Driven Water Splitting Properties

We report the morphological and size tailored rational and facile synthesis of copper vanadate nanostructures via sonication assisted sol gel method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), indicated irregular and nanoflakes morphologies for the as synthesized copper vanadate (CV-120) and copper vanadate calcined at 250 °C (CV-250). The semispherical platelets shaped morphology revealed for the copper vanadate calcined at 550 °C (CV-500). The XRD patterns confirm the monoclinic and triclinic crystal phases for CV-250 and CV-500, respectively. The optical properties of CV-250 and CV-500 via UV-DRS showed significant absorption in the visible regime at λ = 565 nm and 670 nm with band gap 2.2 eV and 1.84 eV, respectively as calculated from Kubelka-Munk (KM) equation via Tauc’s plot. The values of band edge positions of CV-250 and CV-550 straddle with the hydrogen (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) potentials. The photoelectrodes of CV-250 and CV-500 fabricated by adsorption desorption method to test their photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting performance in the three-electrode cell. The onset photocurrent potential is observed at ~0.42 V, which reached to saturation at 1.05 V. The photocurrent density at saturation is ~0.65 mA/cm(2) for CV-250 and CV-500, respectively.