title: Competitive photoelectrochemical methanol and water oxidation with hematite electrodes.
abstract: Photocatalytic water and methanol oxidation were studied at thin film hematite electrodes synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Systematic photoelectrochemical characterization along with O2 evolution measurements were carried out in order to better understand the mechanisms of both water and methanol oxidation at hematite electrodes. When both water and methanol are present in the solution, they are oxidized competitively with each other, allowing the detection and assignment of distinct surface states characteristic to each process. The measurement of different surface states for methanol and water oxidation, along with the absence of measurable surface states in an inert acetonitrile electrolyte, clearly shows that the detected surface states are chemically distinct reaction intermediates of water or methanol oxidation.
authors: §Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Klahr
authors: †Photovoltaics and Optoelectronic Devices Group, Departament de Física, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain.
authors: Sixto
authors: S
authors: Gimenez
authors: ‡Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, 578 South Shaw Lane, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1322, United States.
authors: Omid
authors: O
authors: Zandi
authors: †Photovoltaics and Optoelectronic Devices Group, Departament de Física, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain.
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Fabregat-Santiago
authors: ‡Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, 578 South Shaw Lane, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1322, United States.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Hamann
keywords: electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; hematite; methanol oxidation; photoelectrocatalysis; solar energy; water oxidation