Improved corrosion resistance of GaN electrodes in NaCl electrolyte for photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation

A significant improvement in the stability of high-quality GaN films, for photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation, has been demonstrated using near neutral NaCl(aq) electrolyte instead of conventional acidic HCl(aq). The experimental results conclude that the as-grown surface oxide passivates the surface from corrosion and, therefore, leads to a higher photocurrent. Our result paves the way for the future development of stable hydrogen generation with abundant sea water and high-efficiency III–V compound semiconductors.