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Title: An Electrochemical, Microtopographical and Ambient Pressure X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic Investigation of Si/TiO2/Ni/Electrolyte Interfaces

Journal Article · · Journal of the Electrochemical Society
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8]
  1. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Advanced Light Source
  3. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Advanced Light Source. Materials Science Division. Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis
  4. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Science Division. Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis
  5. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis. Beckman Inst.
  6. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis. Beckman Inst. Kavli Nanoscience Inst.
  7. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Advanced Light Source; Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai (China). State Key Lab. of Functional Materials for Informatics. Shanghai Inst. of Microsystem and Information Technology; ShanghaiTech Univ. (China). School of Physical Science and Technology
  8. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis
+ Show Author Affiliations

The electrical and spectroscopic properties of the TiO2/Ni protection layer system, which enables stabilization of otherwise corroding photoanodes, have been investigated in contact with electrolyte solutions by scanning-probe microscopy, electrochemistry and in-situ ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS). Specifically, the energy-band relations of the p+-Si/ALD-TiO2/Ni interface have been determined for a selected range of Ni thicknesses. AP-XPS measurements using tender X-rays were performed in a three-electrode electrochemical arrangement under potentiostatic control to obtain information from the semiconductor near-surface region, the electrochemical double layer (ECDL) and the electrolyte beyond the ECDL. The degree of conductivity depended on the chemical state of the Ni on the TiO2 surface. At low loadings of Ni, the Ni was present primarily as an oxide layer and the samples were not conductive, although the TiO2 XPS core levels nonetheless displayed behavior indicative of a metal-electrolyte junction. In contrast, as the Ni thickness increased, the Ni phase was primarily metallic and the electrochemical behavior became highly conductive, with the AP-XPS data indicative of a metal-electrolyte junction. Electrochemical and microtopographical methods have been employed to better define the nature of the TiO2/Ni electrodes and to contextualize the AP-XPS results.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Renewable Energy. Solar Energy Technologies Office
Contributing Organization:
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai (China); ShanghaiTech Univ. (China)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; SC0004993
OSTI ID:
1378770
Journal Information:
Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 163, Issue 2; ISSN 0013-4651
Publisher:
The Electrochemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (22)

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Stabilization of n-cadmium telluride photoanodes for water oxidation to O 2 (g) in aqueous alkaline electrolytes using amorphous TiO 2 films formed by atomic-layer deposition journal January 2014
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The Influence of Structure and Processing on the Behavior of TiO 2 Protective Layers for Stabilization of n-Si/TiO 2 /Ni Photoanodes for Water Oxidation journal July 2015
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Silicon protected with atomic layer deposited TiO2: durability studies of photocathodic H2 evolution journal January 2013
(Invited) Investigation of the Si/TiO2/Electrolyte Interface Using Operando Tender X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy journal April 2015
(Invited) Measurement of the Energy-Band Relations of Stabilized Si Photoanodes Using Operando Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy journal April 2015
Hydrous Nickel Oxide: Redox Switching and the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Aqueous Alkaline Solution journal January 2012

Cited By (8)

Various spectroelectrochemical cells for in situ observation of electrochemical processes at solid–liquid interfaces journal October 2018
Unravelling the electrochemical double layer by direct probing of the solid/liquid interface journal August 2016
Probing a battery electrolyte drop with ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy journal July 2019
The offset droplet: a new methodology for studying the solid/water interface using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy journal October 2017
Spatially Resolved XPS Characterization of Electrochemical Surfaces journal April 2019
Investigation of the Photocorrosion of n-Gap Photoanodes in Acid with in-Situ UV-Vis Spectroscopy journal May 2020
Probing a battery electrolyte drop with ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy text January 2019
Probing a battery electrolyte drop with ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy text January 2019

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Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
corrosion
interfaces
photoelectrochemistry
semiconductor/liquid junction