Hybrid island-and-sea approach for corrosion protection of Si photocathode in neutral-pH water splitting
Amze M. Aliyev A. Magazov Y. Nuraje N. Dikhanbayev K. Shabdan E.
December 2026Nature Research
Scientific Reports
2026#16Issue 1
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a promising way for converting solar energy into green hydrogen, yet the long-term stability of the studied photoelectrodes remains a main challenge. Therefore, corrosion protection of photocathode and photoanode materials has attracted attention. Here, we demonstrate a simple yet effective “island-and-sea” strategy to enhance the stability of silicon-based photocathodes in neutral media water splitting. Platinum nanoparticles (“islands”) deposited on Si facilitate efficient charge transfer, whereas the remaining surface is passivated with a hydrophobic 1-octadecyl (OD) self-assembled monolayer (“sea”) that acts as a corrosion-resistant barrier. This organic-protective layer allows stable PEC operation without altering the semiconductor’s band structure and complex fabrication steps. The Si/Pt + OD structure maintains a stable photocurrent over 6 h, compared to a 50% decline after 3 h of operation for the unprotected Si/Pt photocathode. Since neutral electrolytes like seawater are readily available and inexpensive natural resources on the planet, the “island-and-sea” approach applicable for stable operation at neutral pH becomes crucial for real-world applications.
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Renewable Energy Lab, National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Faculty of Physics and Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
School of Intelligent Systems, Astana IT University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Renewable Energy Lab
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
Faculty of Physics and Technology
School of Intelligent Systems
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