Surface treatment of hematite photoanodes with zinc acetate for water oxidation.
A simple and inexpensive method to form a hematite photoanode for efficient water oxidation is reported. A very thin ZnO overlayer was deposited on top of a thin film of hematite and found, compared with non-treated hematite, to increase the photocurrent and reduce the onset potential for generating oxygen from water. After 3 cycles of ZnAc treatment, the photocurrent increased more than 40% to 1.08 mA cm(-2) at 0.23 V vs. Ag/AgCl and onset potential for water oxidation shifted by -170 mV. It is proposed that the ZnO overlayer changes the flat band potential of hematite and reduces the surface defects.
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technology University, Singapore.
Lifei
L
Xi
Prince Saurabh
PS
Bassi
Sing Yang
SY
Chiam
Wai Fatt
WF
Mak
Phong D
PD
Tran
James
J
Barber
Joachim Say
JS
Chye Loo
Lydia Helena
LH
Wong
D004566:Electrodes; D004583:Electrons; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D019345:Zinc Acetate / Q000737:chemistry*; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry
D005290:Ferric Compounds; D014867:Water; C000499:ferric oxide; D019345:Zinc Acetate; D015034:Zinc Oxide