Photocatalytic Efficacy of 1-Dimensional Nanocomposite Electrode

The photocatalytic splitting of water into H2 and O2 by oxide nanoparticles has received much attention. However, the full potential of photo-catalysts for efficient hydrogen generation out of water has not been fully realized yet due to unresolved limitations including the low electrical conductivity and ineffective carrier extraction. Here, we report composite oxide materials consisting of 1-dimensional (1-D) transparent conducting oxide (TCO) core and Ti0₂ shell. Highly conductive ITO nanowires were grown on a flexible SUS mesh as a core component. The photoelectrodes consisting of these 1-D nanocomposites have increased carrier mobility due to the TCO core, while the T1O2 shell provides the photocatalytic functionalities. In addition, the built-in-potential at the interface between TCO core and the T1O₂ shell improves the collection of charge carriers from T1O₂ to TCO. These factors altogether contribute to increasing the photocurrent of the device under light.