title: Pt-functionalized Fe2O3 photoanodes for solar water splitting: the role of hematite nano-organization and the platinum redox state.
abstract: Pt/α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites were synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by a sequential plasma enhanced-chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD)/radio frequency (RF) sputtering approach, tailoring the overall Pt content as a function of sputtering time. The chemico-physical properties of the as-prepared systems were extensively investigated by means of complementary techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and optical absorption spectroscopy, and compared to those of the homologous Pt/α-Fe2O3 systems annealed in air prior and/or after sputtering. The obtained results evidenced that the material compositional, structural and morphological features, with particular regard to the Pt oxidation state and hematite nano-organization, could be finely tailored as a function of the adopted processing conditions. Pt/α-Fe2O3 systems were finally tested as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting experiments, evidencing a remarkable interplay between functional performances and the above-mentioned material properties, as also testified by transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Padova University and INSTM, 35131 Padova, Italy. alberto.gasparotto@unipd.it.
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authors.lastname: Gasparotto
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authors.lastname: Gönüllü
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authors.lastname: Mathur