Abstract
High-stability, high-efficiency, and low-cost solar photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has great potential for hydrogen-energy applications. Here, we report on gold/titanium dioxide (Au/TiO2) nanofiber structures grown directly on a conductive indium tin oxide substrate, and used as photoelectrodes in PEC cells for hydrogen generation. The titanium dioxide nanofibers (TiO2 NFs) are synthesized using electrospinning, and are surface-modified by the deposition of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) using a simple photoreduction method. The structure and morphology of the materials were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the Au NPs was investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The PEC properties of the as-prepared photoelectrodes were measured. The obtained photoconversion efficiency of 0.52% under simulated-sunlight illumination by a 150 W xenon lamp of the Au/TiO2 NFs structure with 15 min UV irradiation for Au NP deposition was the highest value from comparable structures. Working photoelectrode stability was tested, and the mechanism of the enhanced PEC performance is discussed.
Highlights
Hydrogen is considered an important fuel for the future because of its high energy density, its abundance, and its environmental friendliness
Peaks at 2θ = 25.3◦, 33.45◦, and 48.51◦ corresponded to diffractions on the (101), (004), and (200) planes of the TiO2 anatase phase, respectively (JCPDS file no. 84 1286), and other peaks, labelled with asterisks, were attributed to indium tin oxide (ITO)
The morphology of the pure and the Au-modified TiO2 NFs was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM; Figure 2)
Summary
Hydrogen is considered an important fuel for the future because of its high energy density, its abundance, and its environmental friendliness. The preparation of nanofibers by using the electrospinning technique has attracted much attention because it offers a high specific surface area and a mesoporous structure, which provides many reaction sites [18]. NFs) prepared by electrospinning are promising structures for hydrogen production through PEC water splitting. The design of plasmonic metal nanoparticle-decorated nanostructures with low cost, high stability, and high efficiency for PEC water splitting is still a challenge. We fabricated Au NPs surface-modified TiO2 NFs photoelectrodes and used them for PEC water splitting. An Au NP-decorated TiO2 surface enhances photoabsorption in the visible spectral range, and prevents the electron-hole pair recombination process.
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