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Title: Photoelectrochemical Activity of As-Grown, a-Fe2O3 Nanowire Array Electrodes for Water Splitting

Abstract

Undoped hematite nanowire arrays grown using plasma oxidation of iron foils show significant photoactivity ({approx}0.38 mA cm{sup -2} at 1.5 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in 1 M KOH). In contrast, thermally oxidized nanowire arrays grown on iron exhibit no photoactivity due to the formation of a thick (>7 {micro}m Fe{sub 1-x}O) interfacial layer. An atmospheric plasma oxidation process required only a few minutes to synthesize hematite nanowire arrays with a 1-5 {micro}m interfacial layer of magnetite between the nanowire arrays and the iron substrate. An amorphous oxide surface layer on hematite nanowires, if present, is shown to decrease the resulting photoactivity of as-synthesized, plasma grown nanowire arrays. The photocurrent onset potential is improved after removing the amorphous surface on the nanowires using an acid etch. A two-step method involving high temperature nucleation followed by growth at low temperature is shown to produce a highly dense and uniform coverage of nanowire arrays.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1048587
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5600-55504
TRN: US201216%%1020
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Nanotechnology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 23; Journal Issue: 19
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; ELECTRODES; HEMATITE; HYDROGEN; IRON; MAGNETITE; NUCLEATION; OXIDATION; OXIDES; PHOTOCURRENTS; PLASMA; WATER; solar energy; iron oxide; solar water splitting

Citation Formats

Chernomordik, Boris D., Russell, Harry B., Cvelbar, Uros, Jasinski, Jacek B., Kumar, Vivekanand, Deutsch, Todd, and Sunkara, Mahendra K. Photoelectrochemical Activity of As-Grown, a-Fe2O3 Nanowire Array Electrodes for Water Splitting. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.1088/0957-4484/23/19/194009.
Chernomordik, Boris D., Russell, Harry B., Cvelbar, Uros, Jasinski, Jacek B., Kumar, Vivekanand, Deutsch, Todd, & Sunkara, Mahendra K. Photoelectrochemical Activity of As-Grown, a-Fe2O3 Nanowire Array Electrodes for Water Splitting. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/23/19/194009
Chernomordik, Boris D., Russell, Harry B., Cvelbar, Uros, Jasinski, Jacek B., Kumar, Vivekanand, Deutsch, Todd, and Sunkara, Mahendra K. 2012. "Photoelectrochemical Activity of As-Grown, a-Fe2O3 Nanowire Array Electrodes for Water Splitting". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/23/19/194009.
@article{osti_1048587,
title = {Photoelectrochemical Activity of As-Grown, a-Fe2O3 Nanowire Array Electrodes for Water Splitting},
author = {Chernomordik, Boris D. and Russell, Harry B. and Cvelbar, Uros and Jasinski, Jacek B. and Kumar, Vivekanand and Deutsch, Todd and Sunkara, Mahendra K.},
abstractNote = {Undoped hematite nanowire arrays grown using plasma oxidation of iron foils show significant photoactivity ({approx}0.38 mA cm{sup -2} at 1.5 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in 1 M KOH). In contrast, thermally oxidized nanowire arrays grown on iron exhibit no photoactivity due to the formation of a thick (>7 {micro}m Fe{sub 1-x}O) interfacial layer. An atmospheric plasma oxidation process required only a few minutes to synthesize hematite nanowire arrays with a 1-5 {micro}m interfacial layer of magnetite between the nanowire arrays and the iron substrate. An amorphous oxide surface layer on hematite nanowires, if present, is shown to decrease the resulting photoactivity of as-synthesized, plasma grown nanowire arrays. The photocurrent onset potential is improved after removing the amorphous surface on the nanowires using an acid etch. A two-step method involving high temperature nucleation followed by growth at low temperature is shown to produce a highly dense and uniform coverage of nanowire arrays.},
doi = {10.1088/0957-4484/23/19/194009},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1048587}, journal = {Nanotechnology},
number = 19,
volume = 23,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Thu May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}

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