title: Mixed-Metal Tungsten Oxide Photoanode Materials Made by Pulsed-Laser in Liquids Synthesis.
abstract: Globally scalable sunlight-driven devices that convert solar energy into storable fuels will require efficient light absorbers that are made of non-precious elements. Suitable photoanode materials are yet to be discovered. Here we utilised the timesaving nature of pulsed-laser-in-liquids synthesis and prepared a series of neat and mixed-metal tungsten oxide photoanode materials to investigate the effect of ad-metals on optical and photocurrent generation properties. We obtained sub-μm-sized materials with different colours from W, Al, Ta, or first-row transition metal targets in water or aqueous ammonium metatungstate solutions. We observed metastable polymorphs of WO3and tungsten oxides with varying degrees of oxygen deficiency. Pulsed-laser in liquids synthesis of Ni in ammonium metatungstate solutions produce hollow spheres (with ≤6 % Ni with respect to W). Photocurrent generation in strong aqueous acid is highest in mixed-metal tungsten oxide photoanode materials with around 5 % of iron or nickel.
authors.affiliation: Beckman Institute, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd., Mail Code 139-74, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Carl M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Blumenfeld
authors.affiliation: Permanent address: Technical Chemistry I, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45141, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Beckman Institute, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd., Mail Code 139-74, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Harry B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: Beckman Institute, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd., Mail Code 139-74, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Astrid M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2785-6808
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Müller
keywords: mixed-metal oxides; photoanodes; pulsed-laser synthesis; solar water splitting; tungsten oxide