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n-Type Cu2O/α-Fe2O3 Heterojunctions by Electrochemical Deposition: Tuning of Cu2O Thickness for Maximum Photoelectrochemical Performance

  • Soniya Gahlawat , Nusrat Rashid and Pravin P. Ingole EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: March 30, 2018
Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie
From the journal Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie Volume 232 Issue 9-11

Abstract

Here, we report the enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of surface modified hematite thin films with n-type copper oxide nanostructures (Cu2O/Fe2O3) obtained through simple electrochemical deposition method. The thickness and amount of cuprous oxide layer were varied by simply changing the number of electrodeposition cycles (viz. 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100) in order to understand its thermodynamic and kinetic influence on the photoelectrochemical activity of the resultant nano-heterostructures. Structural and morphological characteristics of the obtained Cu2O/Fe2O3 films have been studied by absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. Electrochemical investigations such as linear sweep voltammetry, Mott–Schottky analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy suggested the formation of n-type Cu2O layers over the hematite films with varying charge-carrier densities, ranging from 0.56×1019 to 3.94×1019 cm−3, that varies with the number of cycles of electrochemical deposition. Besides, the thickness of deposited cuprous oxide layer is noted to alter the net electrochemical and photo-electrochemical response of the base material. An interesting, peak event was recorded for a particular thickness of the cuprous oxide layer (obtained after 25 cycles of electrochemical deposition) below and above which the efficiency of catalyst was impaired. The heterojunction obtained thus, followed well known Z-scheme and gave appreciable increment in the photocurrent response.

Keywords: copper oxide; electrodeposition; hematite; photoelectrochemistry; thin films; water splitting

Acknowledgment

SG thanks CSIR-India and NR thanks UGC-India for their research fellowships. PPI thanks DST-SERB for the funding through research projects SB/EMEQ-339/2014 and SB/FT/CS-047/2014. Authors are thankful to Central Research Facility and Nanoscale research facilities of IIT Delhi for assistance in material characterization.

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Supplementary Material:

The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/zpch-2018-1140).

Received: 2018-02-01
Accepted: 2018-02-28
Published Online: 2018-03-30
Published in Print: 2018-08-28

©2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/zpch-2018-1140
Keywords for this article
copper oxide; electrodeposition; hematite; photoelectrochemistry; thin films; water splitting

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Preface
  3. Congratulations to Alexander Eychmüller
  4. Halogens in the Synthesis of Colloidal Semiconductor Nanocrystals
  5. Controlled Aqueous Synthesis of CdSe Quantum Dots using Double-Hydrophilic Block Copolymers as Stabilizers
  6. Fabrication of Ag2S/CdS Heterostructured Nanosheets via Self-Limited Cation Exchange
  7. Ion-Selective Ligands: How Colloidal Nano- and Micro-Particles Can Introduce New Functionalities
  8. TEM, FTIR and Electrochemistry Study: Desorption of PVP from Pt Nanocubes
  9. Incorporation of CdTe Nanocrystals into Metal Oxide Matrices Towards Inorganic Nanocomposite Materials
  10. Diatoms – A “Green” Way to Biosynthesize Gold-Silica Nanocomposites?
  11. Evidence for Photo-Switchable Carrier Mobilities in Blends of PbS Nanocrystals and Photochromic Dithienylcyclopentene Derivatives
  12. Gelation-Assisted Layer-by-Layer Deposition of High Performance Nanocomposites
  13. Enhancement of the Fluorescence Quantum Yield of Thiol-Stabilized CdTe Quantum Dots Through Surface Passivation with Sodium Chloride and Bicarbonate
  14. Fluorescence Quenching of CdTe Quantum Dots with Co (III) Complexes via Electrostatic Assembly Formation
  15. Colloidal Photoluminescent Refractive Index Nanosensor Using Plasmonic Effects
  16. Towards Low-Toxic Colloidal Quantum Dots
  17. Color-Enrichment Semiconductor Nanocrystals for Biorhythm-Friendly Backlighting
  18. Transient Absorption Studies on Nanostructured Materials and Composites: Towards the Development of New Photocatalytic Systems
  19. Transient Spectroscopy of Glass-Embedded Perovskite Quantum Dots: Novel Structures in an Old Wrapping
  20. Energy Transfer Between Single Semiconductor Quantum Dots and Organic Dye Molecules
  21. Chemical Routes to Surface Enhanced Infrared Absorption (SEIRA) Substrates
  22. Plasmonic Cu/CuCl/Cu2S/Ag and Cu/CuCl/Cu2S/Au Supports with Peroxidase-Like Activity: Insights from Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
  23. n-Type Cu2O/α-Fe2O3 Heterojunctions by Electrochemical Deposition: Tuning of Cu2O Thickness for Maximum Photoelectrochemical Performance
  24. The Photoelectrochemistry of Assemblies of Semiconductor Nanoparticles at Interfaces
  25. Surface-Charge Dependent Orientation of Water at the Interface of a Gold Electrode: A Cluster Study
  26. Single Particle Spectroscopy of Radiative Processes in Colloid-to-Film-Coupled Nanoantennas
  27. Coupled Plasmon Resonances and Gap Modes in Laterally Assembled Gold Nanorod Arrays
  28. Anisotropy of Structure and Optical Properties of Self-Assembled and Oriented Colloidal CdSe Nanoplatelets
  29. Simple Electroless Synthesis of Cobalt Nanoparticle Chains, Oriented by Externally Applied Magnetic Fields
  30. Functionalization of Graphene Aerogels and their Applications in Energy Storage and Conversion
  31. Macroscopic Aerogels with Retained Nanoscopic Plasmonic Properties
  32. Application of Aqueous-Based Covalent Crosslinking Strategies to the Formation of Metal Chalcogenide Gels and Aerogels
  33. Cellulose-Based Hydrogels with Controllable Electrical and Mechanical Properties
  34. Naphthalenetetracarboxylic Diimide Derivatives: Molecular Structure, Thin Film Properties and Solar Cell Applications
  35. Metal-Phenolic Encapsulated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for pH-Responsive Drug Delivery and Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  36. Extraction of K2CO3 from Low Concentration [K+] Solutions with the Aid of CO2: A Study on the Metastable Phase Equilibrium of K2CO3-Na2CO3-H2O Ternary System
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