Modulating Carrier Transport via Defect Engineering in Solar Water Splitting Devices

Developing sustainable solar water splitting devices requires efficient separation and transport of photogenerated carriers. In this Perspective, we examine carrier transport in semiconductor photoelectrodes using bismuth vanadate as a primary model system and highlight strategies to significantly improve carrier delivery through defect engineering. To improve electron transport in low-mobility semiconductors, we introduce two distinct bulk doping methods, by homogeneously enhancing the bulk defect level or by forming distributed homojunctions with graded doping. Next, we demonstrate the use of structural boundaries as extrinsic pathways for fast electron transport, thus providing novel insights to engineer materials’ macroscopic conductivity. Third, we describe the importance of interface design in terms of structural, chemical, and electronic matching at the back contact to suppress carrier recombination. Finally, we highlight the methods for surface defect control via passivation and catalysis and give a brief outlook of research challenges and opportunities for solar water splitting.