Low-Cost Nanomaterials for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

Optimizing the Activity of Nanoneedle Structured WO3 Photoanodes for Solar Water Splitting: Direct Synthesis via Chemical Vapor Deposition

“…Using the photon penetration depth, differences in light conversion behavior between materials of nanoneedle and flat structure were rationalized. This was done keeping in mind the respective electron (∼7 μm) and hole diffusion lengths (∼150 nm) of WO 3 .…”

“…This was done keeping in mind the respective electron (~7 µm) 44 and hole diffusion lengths (~150 nm) 45 of WO 3 . Considering the case of front irradiation (semiconductor-electrolyte interface) in a flat material, 95 % of UV light (range 250 -300 nm) would be absorbed within the first 150 nm ( Figure 10).…”

Efficient solar-driven water splitting by nanocone BiVO 4 -perovskite tandem cells

“…Hydrogen (H 2 ) is a clean and renewable fuel that could be produced by a photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting cell in which semiconductors convert water directly to hydrogen from sunlight (1)(2)(3)(4). Over the past few decades, extensive efforts have been invested to explore oxide-based photoanodes for use in PEC cells because of their relatively good stability in resisting oxidative photocorrosion and their low-cost fabrication (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 ) is one of the most important photoanode materials because of its relatively narrow band gap of 2.4 eV and its adequate conduction band edge position relative to the H 2 O/H 2 evolution level (13)(14)(15)(16).…”

Morphology and Optical Properties of Highly Ordered TiO2 Nanotubes Grown in NH4F/o-H3PO4 Electrolytes in View of Light-Harvesting and Catalytic Applications

“…To this purpose, electrochemical anodization, which allows high-surface-area TiO 2 nanotube layers to be produced, is a most straightforward path due to its simplicity, high reproducibility, scalability, and low cost. , Initially, TiO 2 nanotubes a few hundred of nanometers thick with a comparably poor degree of self-ordering were grown by anodization of Ti substrates in acidic aqueous electrolytes . Several types of alternative media, i.e., neutral aqueous solutions , and later organic electrolytes (most commonly HF–glycerol or HF–ethylene glycol mixtures), were then shown to provide NTs with higher degrees of self-ordering and aspect ratios. − …”