Toward High-Performance Hematite Nanotube Photoanodes: Charge-Transfer Engineering at Heterointerfaces

Do Hong Kim, Dinsefa M. Andoshe, Young Seok Shim, Cheon Woo Moon, Woonbae Sohn, Seokhoon Choi, Taemin Ludvic Kim, Migyoung Lee, Hoonkee Park, Kootak Hong, Ki Chang Kwon, Jun Min Suh, Jin Sang Kim, Jong Heun Lee, Ho Won Jang

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    24 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Vertically ordered hematite nanotubes are considered to be promising photoactive materials for high-performance water-splitting photoanodes. However, the synthesis of hematite nanotubes directly on conducting substrates such as fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)/glass is difficult to be achieved because of the poor adhesion between hematite nanotubes and FTO/glass. Here, we report the synthesis of hematite nanotubes directly on FTO/glass substrate and high-performance photoelectrochemical properties of the nanotubes with NiFe cocatalysts. The hematite nanotubes are synthesized by a simple electrochemical anodization method. The adhesion of the hematite nanotubes to the FTO/glass substrate is drastically improved by dipping them in nonpolar cyclohexane prior to postannealing. Bare hematite nanotubes show a photocurrent density of 1.3 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs a reversible hydrogen electrode, while hematite nanotubes with electrodeposited NiFe cocatalysts exhibit 2.1 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V which is the highest photocurrent density reported for hematite nanotubes-based photoanodes for solar water splitting. Our work provides an efficient platform to obtain high-performance water-splitting photoanodes utilizing earth-abundant hematite and noble-metal-free cocatalysts.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)23793-23800
    Number of pages8
    JournalACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
    Volume8
    Issue number36
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2016 Sept 14

    Bibliographical note

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2016 American Chemical Society.

    Keywords

    • NiFe cocatalysts
    • earth abundant
    • hematite
    • nanotube
    • water-splitting photoanode

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Materials Science

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