Combinatorial Investigations of High Temperature CuNb Oxide Phases for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.
High-throughput combinatorial methods have been useful in identifying new oxide semiconductors with the potential to be applied to solar water splitting. Most of these techniques have been limited to producing and screening oxide phases formed at temperatures below approximately 550 °C. We report the development of a combinatorial approach to discover and optimize high temperature phases for photoelectrochemical water splitting. As a demonstration material, we chose to produce thin films of high temperature CuNb oxide phases by inkjet printing on two different substrates: fluorine-doped tin oxide and crystalline Si, which required different sample pyrolysis procedures. The selection of pyrolysis parameters, such as temperature/time programs, and the use of oxidizing, nonreactive or reducing atmospheres determines the composition of the thin film materials and their photoelectrochemical performance. XPS, XRD, and SEM analyses were used to determine the composition and oxidation states within the copper niobium oxide phases and to then guide the production of target Cu(1+)Nb(5+)-oxide phases. The charge carrier dynamics of the thin films produced by the inkjet printing are compared with pure CuNbO3 microcrystalline material obtained from inorganic bulk synthesis.
School of Energy Resources, Department of Chemistry, University of Wyoming , Laramie, Wyoming 82071, United States.
Katarzyna
K
Skorupska
Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States.
Paul A
PA
Maggard
Institute for Solar Fuels, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH , Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany.
Rainer
R
Eichberger
Institute for Solar Fuels, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH , Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany.
Klaus
K
Schwarzburg
School of Energy Resources, Department of Chemistry, University of Wyoming , Laramie, Wyoming 82071, United States.|Department of Chemistry, University of Isfahan , Isfahan 81744-73441, Iran.
Paria
P
Shahbazi
Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8204, United States.
Brandon
B
Zoellner
School of Energy Resources, Department of Chemistry, University of Wyoming , Laramie, Wyoming 82071, United States.
Bruce A
BA
Parkinson
D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D006358:Hot Temperature; D009556:Niobium / Q000737:chemistry*; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
D010087:Oxides; D009556:Niobium; D014867:Water; D003300:Copper
CuNb oxides; charge carrier dynamics; combinatorial chemistry; high temperature phases; inkjet printing; photoelectrochemical water splitting