Surface modification of highly ordered TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays for efficient photoelectrocatalytic water splitting

Journal Article · Mon Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3099338· OSTI ID:21176048

Lin, C -J; Lu, Y -T; Hsieh, C -H; Chien, S -H ^[1]

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1. Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan and Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

An efficient visible-light-sensitive heterostructure photoanode of CdS nanoparticles/ZnO shell/TiO{sub 2} nanotube (CdS/ZnO-TiNT) arrays were investigated for solar water splitting. Highly ordered arrays of TiNT were grown vertically on Ti foil by electrochemical anodization. Both aqueous solution routes were used in turn to coat a thin recombination barrier of ZnO shell and narrow band gap CdS nanoparticles to the surface of the TiNT arrays. As a result of strong absorption within solar spectrum and effective suppression of electron-hole pair recombination in CdS/ZnO-TiNT arrays, a significant improvement in solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency from 0.39% to 1.30% was obtained.

• OSTI ID: 21176048
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 94, Issue 11; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3099338; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ABSORPTION
ANODES
ANODIZATION
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CADMIUM SULFIDES
CATALYSIS
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
FOILS
HETEROJUNCTIONS
HOLES
HYDROGEN
NANOTUBES
RECOMBINATION
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
TITANIUM OXIDES
WATER
ZINC OXIDES