title: Efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting by anodically grown WO3 electrodes.
abstract: The potentiostatic anodization of metallic tungsten has been investigated in different solvent/electrolyte compositions with the aim of improving the water oxidation ability of the tungsten oxide layer. In the NMF/H(2)O/NH(4)F solvent mixture, the anodization leads to highly efficient WO(3) photoanodes, which, combining spectral sensitivity, an electrochemically active surface, and improved charge-transfer kinetics, outperform, under simulated solar illumination, most of the reported nanocrystalline substrates produced by anodization in aqueous electrolytes and by sol-gel methods. The use of such electrodes results in high water electrolysis yields of between 70 and 90% in 1 M H(2)SO(4) under a potential bias of 1 V versus SCE and close to 100% in the presence of methanol.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cristino
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caramori
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Argazzi
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meda
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.forename: Carlo Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bignozzi