CuO-TiO2 nanostructures prepared by chemical and electrochemical methods as photo electrode for hydrogen production

Abstract

In present study, copper (II) oxide (CuO) nanostructures were separately synthesized via chemical and electrochemical methods. CuO were coated with chemically synthesized titanium dioxide (TiO2). Morphological and structural properties of CuO and TiO2 coated CuO (CuO-TiO2) materials were examined via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). FESEM images showed that nanowire like CuO formed at both chemical and electrochemical techniques. TiO2 nanoparticles were homogenously distributed all over CuO surfaces. XRD pattern revealed CuO has monoclinic crystal structure with metallic Cu. Moreover, rutile TiO2 crystallized in the tetragonal crystal structure. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic (PD) polarization measurements were utilized to study electro catalytic performance of the materials towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The values of both energy consumption, and energy efficiency were determined as 329.43 kJ mol−1 and 86.0% at −50 mA cm−2 current density for HER on electrochemically synthesized CuO-TiO2 at 25 °C.