Enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting by a 3D hierarchical sea urchin-like structure: ZnO nanorod arrays on TiO₂ hollow hemisphere

Abstract

A hierarchical sea urchin-like hybrid metal oxide nanostructure of ZnO nanorods deposited on TiO2 porous hollow hemisphere with a thin zinc titanate interface layer is specifically designed and synthesized forming a combined type I straddling and type II staggered junctions. The HHSs, synthesized by electrospinning, facilitate light trapping and scattering. The ZnO nanorods offer a large surface area for improved surface oxidation kinetics The interface layer of zinc titanate (ZnTiO3) between the TiO2 HHSs and ZnO nanorods regulates the charge separation in a closely coupled hierarchy structure of ZnO/ZnTiO3/TiO2. The synergistic effects of improved light trapping, charge separation, and fast surface reaction kinetics result in a superior photoconversion efficiency of 1.07% for the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting with an outstanding photocurrent density of 2.8 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE.