Optimization of photoelectrochemical water splitting performance on hierarchical TiO 2 nanotube arrays

Zhang, Zhonghai; Wang, Peng

Optimization of photoelectrochemical water splitting performance on hierarchical TiO 2 nanotube arrays

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License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Type

Article

Authors

Zhang, Zhonghai
Wang, Peng

KAUST Department

Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division
Environmental Nanotechnology Lab
Environmental Science and Engineering Program
Water Desalination and Reuse Research Center (WDRC)

Online Publication Date

2012-02-10

Print Publication Date

2012

Date

2012-02-10

Abstract

In this paper, we show that by varying the voltages during two-step anodization the morphology of the hierarchical top-layer/bottom-tube TiO 2 (TiO 2 NTs) can be finely tuned between nanoring/nanotube, nanopore/nanotube, and nanohole-nanocave/nanotube morphologies. This allows us to optimize the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting performance on the hierarchical TiO 2 NTs. The optimized photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency in this study, occurring on the nanopore/nanotube TiO 2 NTs, were 1.59 mA cm -2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE and 0.84% respectively, which are the highest values ever reported on pristine TiO 2 materials under illumination of AM 1.5G. Our findings contribute to further improvement of the energy conversion efficiency of TiO 2-based devices.

Citation

Zhang Z, Wang P (2012) Optimization of photoelectrochemical water splitting performance on hierarchical TiO2 nanotube arrays. Energy & Environmental Science 5: 6506. doi:10.1039/c2ee03461a.