In the present study, CO2 reduction driven by (040)-facet engineered BiVO4 plate photoanode (040-BVO) is investigated for solar fuel. In the photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction reaction, water oxidation reaction is performed on 040-BVO and chemical fuelsis obtained on Cu cathode in the CO2-saturated NaCl electrolyte underAM 1.5 G. C1 chemical fuel is evolved through reduction potential depending multistep process from CO2 molecule. 040-BVO(photoanode)/NaCl(electrolyte)/Cu(cathode) system is illuminated withsolar light under the external bias that is tailored to reduce CO2 via reduction potential tuning. Integrating applied bias potential into conduction band minimum of 040-BVO enables CO2 molecules to be converted into valuable chemical fuels. This thermodynamic control leads to the productselectivity and an increase in the faradaic efficiency. We observe that the selectivity and yield of the products depend on CO2 reduction potential tuning. With water oxidation reaction of 040-BVO photoanode which has 42.1% of the absorbed photon-to-current conversion efficiency at 1.23 V (vs RHE), chemical products were observed as faradaic efficiency of 30% formic acid, 60% formaldehyde, 12% MeOH and 3% EtOH by reduction potential tuning. For this study, the correlation between the production of solar chemical fuels and CO2 reduction potential tuning via external bias potential on 040-BVO photoanode/Cu photocathode is systematically investigated, and we suggest that the results of this study represent the most viable strategy 

References 

[1] Chang Woo Kim, Young Seok Son and Young Soo Kang, (040)-Crystal Facet Engineering of BiVO4 Plate Photoanode for Solar Fuel Production, Adv. Energy Mater.,6 1501754 (2016). 

[2] Amol Pawar, Chang Woo Kim and Young Soo Kang, Proton-Transfer Nafion Film Assisted ZnO Thin Film Photoanode with (002) Crystal Facet Exposure for Water Splitting Reaction, Nano Energy20, 156 (2015). 

[3] Chang Woo Kim, So JinYeop and Young Soo Kang, Selectively Exposed Crystal Facet-Engineered TiO2 Thin Film Photoanode for the Higher Performance of Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Reaction, Energy and Environmental Sciences8, 3646 (2015).

EDUCATION 

1984: B.S., Pusan National University, Busan, Korea 

1986: M.S., Pusan National University, Busan, Korea 

1992: Ph.D., University of Houston, U.S.A 

PROFESSIONAL Experience 

1992 -1994: Postdoctor, University of California, Berkeley 

1994 -1995: Postdoctor, Stanford University 

1994-1995: Research Scientist, IBM Almaden Research Institute, U.S.A. 

1995 - 2008.2: Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor,Pukyong National University, 

2008.3 – present: Professor, Sogang University 

DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES 

1985 -present: Member of Korean Chemical Society 

1992 -present: Member of American Chemical Society 

1997-present: Member of Japanese Chemical Society 

-Review panel members of ACS journals (JACS, JPC, Inorganic Chemistry, Chemistry ofMaterials,etc) 

-Review panel members of RSC, Wiley and Elsevier Chemistry Journals 

-Organizing Committee Member of Asian Chemical Congress (2004-2006) 

-Local Chair of 6thAsiaNano Conference (2004 - 2006)