Pyrite (FeS₂)‐decorated 1D TiO₂ nanotubes in a bilayer as a sustainable photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting activity

Abstract

Herein, FeS 2 @TiO 2 nanotubes photocatalyst was prepared by electrochemical anodization method followed by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method, and then finally annealed in a tube furnace for homogenous crystallization. The surface morphology, elemental composition, optical properties, and crystalline structure of the prepared FeS 2 @TiO 2 nanocomposite were found out by performing scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively, while bonds vibrations and various functional groups' presence were analyzed using Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A higher photocurrent density of 1.59 mA/cm 2 at 0.3 V versus reference electrode of Ag/AgCl (1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode) using 100 mW/cm 2 intensive light source was shown by 15-FeS 2 @TiO 2 nanotubes (uniformly loaded photoanode) while donor density (N D ) of 3.68 Â 10 À13 cm À3 as compared to pure TiO 2 NTs (0.09 mA/cm 2 ), 05-FeS 2 @TiO 2 NTs (0.19 mA/cm 2 ), 10-FeS 2 @TiO 2 NTs (0.53 mA/cm 2 ) and 20-FeS 2 @TiO 2 NTs (0.61 mA/cm 2 ), respectively. The exceptional photoelectrochemical activity results were attributed to the homogenous integration of FeS 2 that not only increase the charge separation but also, intensively interacted with the substrate (TiO 2 nanotubes), which results in an excellent photoelectrochemical activity.

Artificial Photosynthesis: Current Advancements and Future Prospects

“…Nanostructured catalysts, such as metal oxides, metal sulfides, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have also been explored for artificial photosynthesis applications. These materials offer a high surface area and tunable electronic properties, making them attractive candidates for catalytic applications [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Examples of nanostructured catalysts for artificial photosynthesis include cobalt oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) [ 35 ], nickel oxide (NiO) [ 36 ], and iron sulfide (FeS 2 ) [ 37 ].…”

“…These materials offer a high surface area and tunable electronic properties, making them attractive candidates for catalytic applications [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Examples of nanostructured catalysts for artificial photosynthesis include cobalt oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) [ 35 ], nickel oxide (NiO) [ 36 ], and iron sulfide (FeS 2 ) [ 37 ]. Alam and group [ 37 ] reported Pyrite (FeS 2 )-decorated 1D TiO 2 nanotubes in a bilayer as a sustainable photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting activity.…”

“…Examples of nanostructured catalysts for artificial photosynthesis include cobalt oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) [ 35 ], nickel oxide (NiO) [ 36 ], and iron sulfide (FeS 2 ) [ 37 ]. Alam and group [ 37 ] reported Pyrite (FeS 2 )-decorated 1D TiO 2 nanotubes in a bilayer as a sustainable photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting activity. The results of the catalyst (15-FeS 2 @TiO 2 ) showed a higher photocurrent density of 1.59 mA/cm 2 at 0.3 V versus a reference electrode of Ag/AgCl (or at 1.23 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode) using a 100 mW/cm 2 intensive light source and a donor density (N D ) of 3.68 × 10 −13 cm −3 as compared to that of pure TiO 2 NTs (0.09 mA/cm 2 ), 05-FeS 2 @TiO 2 NTs (0.19 mA/cm 2 ), 10-FeS 2 @TiO 2 NTs (0.53 mA/cm 2 ), and 20-FeS 2 @TiO 2 NTs (0.61 mA/cm 2 ).…”

Design of TiO2/ZIF‐8 heterojunction with enhanced visible‐light photocatalytic activity under mild conditions

“…For semiconductor photocatalysts, the construction of heterojunctions is an effective strategy to improve their photocatalytic activity [8, 9]. Therefore, in order to improve photocatalytic efficiency, a large number of studies have focused on element doping and semiconductor coupling of simple TiO 2 [10, 11].…”