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Design of multi-layered TiO2–Fe2O3 photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting: patterning effects on photocurrent density

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2016

Myeongwhun Pyeon ,
Meng Wang ,
Yakup Gönüllü ,
Ali Kaouk ,
Sara Jäckle ,
Silke Christiansen ,
Taejin Hwang ,
KyoungIl Moon  and
Sanjay Mathur
Myeongwhun Pyeon
Affiliation:
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Cologne, Greinstr. 6, 50939, Cologne, Germany
Meng Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Cologne, Greinstr. 6, 50939, Cologne, Germany State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, International Research Center for Renewable Energy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, China
Yakup Gönüllü
Affiliation:
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Cologne, Greinstr. 6, 50939, Cologne, Germany
Ali Kaouk
Affiliation:
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Cologne, Greinstr. 6, 50939, Cologne, Germany
Sara Jäckle
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany Max-Planck-Institute for the Science of Light, Günther-Scharowsky-Str. 1, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Silke Christiansen
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany Max-Planck-Institute for the Science of Light, Günther-Scharowsky-Str. 1, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Taejin Hwang
Affiliation:
Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), 320 Techno sunhwan-ro, Yuga-myeon, Dalseong-gun, 711-880 Daegu, South Korea
KyoungIl Moon
Affiliation:
Heat Treatment R&D Group (Siheung Ppuri Technological Supporting Center), Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), 113-5 Seohaean-ro, Siheung-si, 429-450 Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Sanjay Mathur*
Affiliation:
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Cologne, Greinstr. 6, 50939, Cologne, Germany
*
Address all correspondence to Sanjay Mathur at sanjay.mathur@uni-koeln.de
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Abstract

We report the effect of patterning on photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting performance. Oxide–oxide heterostructures based on horizontal and vertical heterojunctions were fabricated on transparent conductive oxide glass by sequential plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of individual metal oxide. Featured masks were employed to enable three-dimensional patternings of stripes and cross-bars structures formed by Fe2O3 and TiO2 layers. PEC measurement was carried out by a three-electrode cell. It was found that double layered TiO2//Fe2O3:FTO showed a decrease in PEC performance when compared with single Fe2O3:FTO layer, whereas triple-layered Fe2O3//TiO2//Fe2O3:FTO (both patterned and unpatterned samples) displayed enhanced photocurrent density. The results show that the existence of multiple phase boundaries does not always add up to PEC enhancement observed in single heterojunction.

Type
Research Letters
Information
MRS Communications , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , December 2016 , pp. 442 - 448
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Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2016 

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