Abstract
• The photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performances of bulk and exfoliated WO3 were compared. • The differences of WO 3 behaviour under illumination are related to the photointercalation phenomena. • The main pathway of dye degradation is the direct reaction with photoexcited holes. In order to investigate the effect of photointercalation on photoelectrochemical properties, two types of WO 3 -based photoanodes, bulk and exfoliated have been prepared and investigated. An aqueous exfoliation method is introduced for the simple fabrication of amorphous and hydrated WO 3 nanomaterial using commercial bulk WO 3 precursor. The comparison of obtained material with bulk WO 3 was performed using Raman, UV–vis, and XPS as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopies. The photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performances of bulk and exfoliated WO 3 were compared. Generally, the proposed exfoliation procedure led to the preparation of photo(electro)catalyst characterized by better performance measured as a photocurrent of water oxidation and rate of methylene blue photodecomposition. The main aim of this research was to investigate the influence of alkali metal cations (Li + ,Na + ,K + ,Cs + ) presence in electrolyte on the photocatalytic and photo(electro)catalytic activity of the samples in a form of suspended powder and thin layer on transparent-conductive substrate (FTO), respectively.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call