Templated Electrodeposition and Photocatalytic Activity of Cuprous Oxide Nanorod Arrays

Abstract

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanorod arrays have been prepared via a novel templated electrodeposition process and were characterized for their photocatalytic behavior in nonaqueous photoelectrochemical cells. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod films serve as sacrificial templates for the in situ formation of polymer nanopore membranes on transparent conductive oxide substrates. Nitrocellulose and poly(lactic acid) are effective membrane-forming polymers that exhibit different modes of template formation, with nitrocellulose forming conformal coatings on the ZnO surface while poly(lactic acid) acts as an amorphous pore-filling material. Robust template formation is sensitive to the seeding method used to prepare the precursor ZnO nanorod films. Photoelectrochemical cells prepared from electrodeposited Cu2O films using methyl viologen as a redox shuttle in acetonitrile electrolyte exhibit significant charge recombination that can be partially suppressed by a combination of surface passivation methods. Surface-passivated nanostructured Cu2O films show enhanced photocurrent relative to planar electrodeposited Cu2O films of similar thickness. We have obtained the highest photocurrent ever reported for electrodeposited Cu2O in a nonaqueous photoelectrochemical cell.

Engineering Processes at the Interface of p‐Semiconductor for Enhancing the Open Circuit Voltage in p‐Type Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

“…One exciting way of increasing the output potential of p‐DSSC is thus to replace NiO by another mesoporous semiconducting material. Among them, copper oxides such as CuO and Cu 2 O, binary cobalt oxides with Zn or Ni, and particularly delafossite materials such as CuMO 2 with M = Ga,[7,9a,30] Cr,[9b,31] Al and B have showed great potential for implementation in p‐DSSC . In particular, the valence band of CuGaO 2 is deeper than NiO by 200 mV, which allows to reach higher V oc ; in addition to this, doping the latter by magnesium ions increased hole mobility and afforded a much improved specific surface area .…”

Facile synthesis of Cu 2 O nanorods in the presence of NaCl by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method and its characterizations

“…To the best of our knowledge, there is no study about the SILAR deposition of Cu 2 O nanorod films until now. Moreover, chemical bath optimization for epitaxial growth of Cu 2 O nanorods from surfaces has not yet been reported [ 29 ].…”

Amino Acids for the Sustainable Production of Cu2O Materials: Effects on Morphology and Photocatalytic Reactivity

“…Research into photocatalytic semiconductor materials is at the forefront today due to their relatively cheap syntheses and diverse applications in energy harvesting, photocatalysis, and environmental remediation, all of which are critically important for a sustainable future. − With a narrow band gap of ∼2.17 eV, Cu 2 O is a p-type semiconductor that efficiently absorbs visible light making it advantageous for photocatalytic reactions compared to large band gap materials such as TiO 2 , SrTiO 3 , and ZnO, which are better suited for UV light absorption. Synthetic methods to generate Cu 2 O vary widely allowing for the ability to fine-tune the final size and structure of the material. − Diverse architectures (spheres, cubes, octahedra, wires, 18-facet polyhedra, etc.)…”