BiVO4/TiO2 core-shell heterostructure: wide range optical absorption and enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance

In the present study, pristine BiVO₄, TiO₂ and BiVO₄/TiO₂ core-shell heterostructured nanoparticles are prepared by hydrothermal methods and studied for structural, morphological, optical, photoelectrochemical water splitting and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue as an organic pollutant. Both pristine BiVO₄ and TiO₂ exhibit poor PEC and PC performance under visible light illumination. However, an enhanced PEC and PC activity in BiVO₄/TiO₂ core-shell heterostructure is observed due to high solar energy absorption and superior charge separation properties in core-shell nanoparticles. The photoelectrode prepared using BiVO₄/TiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles exhibit a photocathode behavior and produced cathodic photocurrent, however, the pristine BiVO₄ and TiO₂ photoelectrodes act as photoanode and produced anodic photocurrent. This behavior of change in current direction is also observe in the Mott-Schottky analysis where the BiVO₄/TiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles photoelectrode exhibits the positive slow showing p-type semiconducting behavior. The change in cathodic photoresponse in core-shell nanoparticles in comparison to anodic photoresponse of BiVO₄ and TiO₂ nanoparticles is explained in terms of the variations in the work function values. These results highlight the advantages of core-shell nanoparticle of suitable materials for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications.     

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

Herein, FeS₂@TiO₂ 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 FeS₂@TiO₂ 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/cm² at 0.3 V versus reference electrode of Ag/AgCl (1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode) using 100 mW/cm² intensive light source was shown by 15-FeS₂@TiO₂ nanotubes (uniformly loaded photoanode) while donor density (N_D) of 3.68 × 10⁻¹³ cm⁻³ as compared to pure TiO₂ NTs (0.09 mA/cm²), 05-FeS₂@TiO₂ NTs (0.19 mA/cm²), 10-FeS₂@TiO₂ NTs (0.53 mA/cm²) and 20-FeS₂@TiO₂ NTs (0.61 mA/cm²), respectively. The exceptional photoelectrochemical activity results were attributed to the homogenous integration of FeS₂ that not only increase the charge separation but also, intensively interacted with the substrate (TiO₂ nanotubes), which results in an excellent photoelectrochemical activity.     

TiO2–carbon nanotube heterojunction arrays with a controllable thickness of TiO2 layer and their first application in photocatalysis

TiO₂–carbon nanotube (CNT) heterojunction arrays on Ti substrate were fabricated by a two-step thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. CNT arrays were first grown on Ti substrate vertically, and then a TiO₂ layer, whose thickness could be controlled by varying the deposition time, was deposited on CNTs. Measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the thickness of the TiO₂ layer could affect the photoresponse ability significantly. About 100 nm thickness of the TiO₂ layer proved to be best for efficient charge separation among the tested samples. The optimized TiO₂–CNT heterojunction arrays displayed apparently higher photoresponse capability than that of TiO₂ nanotube arrays which was confirmed by surface photovoltage (SPV) technique based on Kelvin probe and EIS. In the photocatalytic experiments, the kinetic constants of phenol degradation with TiO₂–CNT heterojunctions and TiO₂ nanotubes were 0.75 h⁻¹ (R² = 0.983) and 0.39 h⁻¹ (R² = 0.995), respectively. At the same time, 53.7% of total organic carbon (TOC) was removed with TiO₂–CNT heterojunctions, while the removal of TOC was only 16.7% with TiO₂ nanotubes. These results demonstrate the super capability of the TiO₂–CNT heterojunction arrays in photocatalysis with comparison to TiO₂-only nanomaterial.     

Synthesis and Study of Plasmon‐Induced Carrier Behavior at Ag/TiO2 Nanowires

Nanocomposites of Ag/TiO₂ nanowires with enhanced photoelectrochemical performance have been prepared by a facile solvothermal synthesis of TiO₂ nanowires and subsequent photoreduction of Ag⁺ ions to Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the TiO₂ nanowires. The as‐prepared nanocomposites exhibited significantly improved cathodic photocurrent responses under visible‐light illumination, which is attributed to the local electric field enhancement of plasmon resonance effect near the TiO₂ surface rather than by the direct transfer of charge between the two materials. The visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic performance of these nanocomposites in the degradation of methylene blue dye was also studied, and the observed improvement in photocatalytic activity is associated with the extended light absorption range and efficient charge separation due to surface plasmon resonance effect of AgNPs.     

Label-free Photoelectrochemical Aptasensor for the Determination of Carcinoembryonic Antigen Using a Cadmum Sulfide Quantum Dot Sensitized Titanium (IV) Oxide Nanotube Electrode

A label-free photoelectrochemical aptasensor for the sensitive and selective determination of carcinoembryonic antigen was constructed based on a CdS quantum dot sensitized TiO₂ nanotube electrode. TiO₂ nanotubes with highly ordered structure and more active sites than bulk TiO₂ were prepared with an electrochemical anodic oxidation process. The CdS quantum dots were immobilized on the TiO₂ nanotubes using poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) as a bridge. Due to the energy level match between TiO₂ and CdS, the CdS quantum dots/TiO₂ nanotubes electrode exhibits excellent photoelectrochemical performance. The large surface area of the electrode also allows for capturing large numbers of aptamers. The fine photoelectrochemical performance and the large surface area of the electrode greatly enhanced the detection sensitivity. Under the optimal conditions, the prepared photoelectrochemical aptasensor presents desirable analytical properties for the determination of carcinoembryonic antigen in the range of 0.05 to 10?ng?mL^?1 with a detection limit of 0.014?ng?mL^?1. The application of the designed protocol was investigated by analyzing carcinoembryonic antigen in human serum samples with recoveries from 80.0 to 115.0%. This simple and sensitive method provides an alternative tool to standard biochemical assays.     

Effect of voltage on the AC conductivity of Li4SiO4

The photoelectrochemical behaviour of a Ru-doped TiO₂ Crystal electrode of composition Ti_0.97Ru_0.03O₂ in contact with aqueous electrolytes has been investigated. The substitution of Ru⁴⁺ for Ti⁴⁺ in the TiO₂ lattice produces two main effects; (i) sensitization to visible light; (ii) reduction of the overpotential for O₂ evolution, both in the dark and under illumination. Ru⁴⁺ eneryg levels constitute a narrow cationic band between the O2_p valence band and the Ti3d conduction band, Ru⁴⁺ → Ti⁴⁺ electronic transitions being responsible for the subbandagap photoresponse. Besides Ru⁴⁺ ions at the semiconductor surface are easily oxidized under positive polarization of the electrode: the surface becomes charged positively and the Fermi level is pinned, which facilitates the transfer of charge from the filled levels of water molecules to the semiconductor conduction band, leading to O₂ evolution. The transient photocurrent-time behaviour observed, both under bandgap and subbandgap illumination, is compared with that of undoped TiO₂ and analyzed in terms of charge transfer at the semiconductor—electrolyte interface.     

Use of anodized tubular TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> photoanodes in light-sensitized enzymatic hydrogen production

In this study, an anodized tubular TiO₂ electrode (ATTE) on titanium foil was prepared and used both as a photoanode and a cathode in an enzymatic photoelectrochemical system to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. The effect of applied voltage when anodized, thickness of the foil, electrolytes, annealing temperature, and cathodes was investigated (optimum conditions: 20 V of applied voltage in 0.5 vol.% of hydrofluoric acid, 0.25-mm foil thickness, and 450–650°C annealing temperature). The samples with higher activities had similar X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, clearly indicating that the samples showing the highest evolution rate were composed of both anatase and rutile, while those showing a lower evolution rate were made of either anatase or rutile. The ATTE successfully replaced the Pt mesh cathode and the immobilization of the enzyme enhanced the H₂ evolution by 50% (from ca. 66 to 99 μmol/(h × cm²)). Moreover, the use of KOH instead of Tris–HCl buffer in a cathodic compartment further increased the H₂ evolution to 115 μmol/(h × cm²).     

Effect of polarization on the electrode behavior and microstructure of (La,Sr)MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> electrodes of solid oxide fuel cells

The electrode behavior and microstructure of freshly prepared (La_0.8Sr_0.2)_0.9MnO₃ (LSM) electrodes were investigated under various polarization conditions. The original, large agglomerates in freshly prepared LSM electrodes were broken down into sphere-shaped grains when exposed to cathodic or anodic current passage of 200 mA cm^–2 at 800 °C in air for 3 h. Microstructural changes under cathodic polarization could be related to the pronounced diffusion and migration of oxygen vacancies and Mn ions on the LSM surface and lattice expansion, while lattice shrinkage under oxidation conditions most likely contributes to the structural changes under anodic polarization. Such morphological changes were irreversible and were found to be beneficial to the performance of freshly prepared LSM electrodes. Freshly prepared LSM electrodes behaved very differently with respect to the cathodic and anodic current passage treatment.     

Axis‐Oriented,Continuous Anatase Titania Films with Exposed Reactive {100} Facets

Homogeneous TiO₂ single crystals with high exposure of {100} reactive facets were constructed as a seed monolayer on transparent conductive substrates with the desired orientation of reactive facets. A secondary growth process was subsequently carried out on the monolayer seed film to form an axis‐oriented continuous reactive film. Performing secondary growth with different precursors led to optimized conditions for high‐performance photoelectrochemical activity of anatase TiO₂ films. Experimental techniques such as UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, high‐resolution SEM, and photoelectrochemistry were used to characterize the structural, optical, and photoelectrochemical properties of the as‐synthesized films. As a photoanode in a photoelectrochemical cell, the axis‐oriented reactive film shows a maximum photocurrent density of 0.3 mA cm^?2, as opposed to 0.075 mA cm^?2 for non‐axis‐oriented (randomly oriented) TiO₂ film.     

Photocatalytic activity of polyaniline/Fe-doped TiO2 composites by in situ polymerization method

This study was focused on the photocatalytic activity of polyaniline (Pani)/iron doped titanium dioxide (Fe–TiO₂) composites for the degradation of methylene blue as a model dye. TiO₂ nanoparticles were doped with iron ions (Fe) using the wet impregnation method and the doped nanoparticles were further combined with Pani via an in situ polymerization method. For comparison purposes, Pani composites were also synthesized in the presence undoped TiO₂. The photocatalyst and the composites were characterized by standard analytical techniques such as FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX and UV–Vis spectroscopies. Fe–TiO₂ and its composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet light irradiation. Improved photocatalytic activity of Fe–TiO₂ was attributed to the dopant Fe ions hindering the recombination of the photoinduced charge carriers. Pani/Fe–TiO₂ composite with 30?wt.% of TiO₂ nanoparticles achieved 28% dye removal and the discoloration rate of methylene blue for the sample was 0.0025?min^?1. FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX and UV–Vis spectroscopies supported the idea that Fe ions integrated into TiO₂ crystal structure and Pani composites were successfully synthesized in the presence of the photocatalyst nanoparticles. The novelty of this study was to investigate the photocatalytic activity of Pani composites, containing iron doped TiO₂ and to compare their results with that of Pani/TiO₂.     

Activation effect of nickel phosphate co-catalysts on the photoelectrochemical water oxidation performance of TiO2 nanotubes

We present exemplary fabrications of controlled Nickel phosphate (NiPi)/TiO₂ nanotubes arrays (TNTs) in phosphate buffer for boosted photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The TNTs/NiPi composite electrodes revealed a considerably enhanced photocurrent density of 0.76 mA/cm², up to 3-time enhancements than bare TNTs, mostly because of the enhanced charge separation, decreased carrier recombination, and improving kinetics of the water oxidation. Also, we demonstrated that the NiPi can assist the PEC features of TNTs over a varied region of pH values from 1 to 14. Incorporation of NiPi over the TNTs surface advances the light absorption features of the electrode, resulting in an enhanced photogenerated charge carrier; and promotes the reactive sites for water oxidation, which was proved by the double-layer capacitance. The TNTs/NiPi photoelectrode exhibited excellent photostabilization under continuous illumination for 5 h, and the photoconversion efficiencies were 0.45%, 3-fold enhancements than with bare TNTs under the illuminations. Overall, this work might offer an innovative approach to fabricating and designing efficient electrodes with superior contact interfaces among photoanodes and numerous co-catalysts.     

Electrochemical Fabrication and Properties of Highly Ordered Fe‐Doped TiO2 Nanotubes

Highly‐ordered Fe‐doped TiO₂ nanotubes (TiO₂nts) were fabricated by anodization of co‐sputtered Ti–Fe thin films in a glycerol electrolyte containing NH₄F. The as‐sputtered Ti–Fe thin films correspond to a solid solution of Ti and Fe according to X‐ray diffraction. The Fe‐doped TiO₂nts were studied in terms of composition, morphology and structure. The characterization included scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, UV/Vis spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mott–Schottky analysis. As a result of the Fe doping, an indirect bandgap of 3.0 eV was estimated using Tauc’s plot, and this substantial red‐shift extends its photoresponse to visible light. From the Mott–Schottky analysis, the flat‐band potential (E_fb) and the charge carrier concentration (N_D) were determined to be ?0.95 V vs Ag/AgCl and 5.0 ×10¹⁹ cm^?3 respectively for the Fe‐doped TiO₂nts, whilst for the undoped TiO₂nts, E_fb of ?0.85 V vs Ag/AgCl and N_D of 6.5×10¹⁹ cm^?3 were obtained.     

TiO2纳米棒和CdSe纳米棒复合膜与聚3-甲基噻吩杂化太阳能电池研究

采用水热法制备了TiO₂和CdSe两种纳米棒材料, 将两种纳米材料制备成TiO₂/CdSe复合纳米棒膜电极, 并在复合膜上电化学聚合生成聚3-甲基噻吩poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMeT), 研究了其光电化学性能. 实验表明, 当TiO₂与CdSe的物质的量复合比为2∶1, PMeT的聚合时间为40 s, 在电极电势为－0.2 V下ITO/TiO₂/CdSe/PMeT电极光电转换效率(IPCE)达到56%, 对比ITO/TiO₂/CdSe复合膜电极在长波方向的光电转换效率明显提高, 光吸收截止波长发生了明显的红移. 同时以ITO/TiO₂/CdSe/PMeT组装了简易的杂化太阳电池, 初步研究了光电池性能, 光电池总效率为0.08%, V_oc＝0.4 V, j_sc＝0.61 mA/cm², ff＝0.33.     

Anodized Iron Oxide Nanostructures on Different Carbon Steels for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

In this study, two different nanostructural iron oxide films were prepared on two kinds of carbon steels (CS) with different contents of impurities via anodization in a mixture of aqueous ammonium fluoride solution and ethylene glycol, respectively, and apply to photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. After annealing, iron oxide nanotubes (NTs) was coated on surface of lower purity CS and iron oxide nanoporous (NPs) was coated on surface of higher purity CS via scanning electron microscope. X‐ray diffraction pattern shows both of samples contain a major phase of α‐Fe₂O₃ and a slight phase of Fe₃O₄. Compared with NPs, NTs behaves better absorbance ability in visible spectra range via UV‐visible absorbance spectra. From PEC response, the iron oxide NTs showed higher water splitting performance (0.10 mA/cm² at 0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl) than NPs (0.04 mA/cm² at 0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl) due to better absorbance, higher car‐ rier concentration and low charge transfer resistance.     

Sensitization of polycrystalline SrTiO3 photoanodes by mechanical polishing

The photoelectrochemical properties of polycrystalline SrTiO₃ anodes have been investigated as a function of surface treatment. Mechanical polishing of the undoped samples results in an anomalous visible photoresponse extending to 600 nm. The polishing effect can be removed by either chemical etching or annealing of the samples. An energy diagram of the polished undoped SrTiO₃ electrode and the main mechanism of its visible photoresponse have been proposed.     

Highly-ordered dye-sensitized TiO2 nanotube arrays film used for improving photoelectrochemical electrodes

Thin titanium oxide nanotube arrays (TNAs) films were synthesized by anodization of titanium foil in an aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide solution using a platinum foil counter electrode.TNAs up to 6.8 μm in length,120 nm in inner pore diameter,and 20 nm in wall thickness were obtained by 40 V potentials anodization for 24 h.Their microstructures and surface morphologies were characterized by XRD,TEM,SAED and UV-vis spectroscopy.The photoelectrochemical properties of as-prepared unsensitized and dye-sensitized TNAs electrodes were examined under simulated solar light (AM 1.5,100 mW/cm2) illumination.The results showed that the photocurrent of the dye-sensitized TNAs electrodes reached 6.9 mA/cm2,which was 6 times more than that of the dye-sensitized TiO2 nanoparticles (TNPs) electrodes.It implied that the electron transport process and the charge recombination suppression within TNAs electrodes were much more favorable in comparison with that in the TNPs electrodes.Electrodes applying such kind of titania nanotubes will have a potential to further enhance the efficiencies of TNAs-based dye-sensitized solar cells.     

Electrophoretic deposition and characterization of self-doped SrTiO3 thin films

Herein, titanium (Ti³⁺) self-doped strontium titanate (SrTiO₃), so-called blue SrTiO₃, with a bandgap of 2.6 eV and favorable photocatalytic characteristics was fabricated through a facile and effective method. For electrochemical investigations, the electrophoretic deposition was applied to produce SrTiO₃ thin films on (fluorine-doped tin oxide) FTO conductive substrates. The electrophoretic voltage of 20 V and a process duration of 10 min were optimized to reach transparent and uniform coatings on FTO. The blue SrTiO₃ reveals lower resistance (charge transfer resistance of 6.38 Ω cm^-2) and higher electron mobility (current density value of 0.25 mA cm^-2) compared to a pure SrTiO₃ electrode. These findings may provide new insights for developing high-performance visible light photocatalysts.     

The preparation,characterization, photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties of lanthanide metal-ion-doped TiO2 nanoparticles

Lanthanide metal-ion-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles were prepared with hydrothermal method and characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and fluorescence spectrum. The results showed that a small part of metal ions entered into the lattice of TiO₂ and others adsorbed on the surface of TiO₂. The photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties of these lanthanide metal-ion-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles were investigated and the results showed that the photoresponse of Eu³⁺-, La³⁺-, Nd³⁺- and Pr³⁺-doped TiO₂ electrodes were much larger and that of Sm³⁺-doped TiO₂ electrode was a little larger than that of undoped TiO₂ electrode, indicating that the photogenerated carriers were separated more efficiently in Eu³⁺-, La³⁺-, Nd³⁺- and Pr³⁺-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles than in undoped TiO₂ nanoparticles. The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RB) was conducted in the suspension of lanthanide metal-ion-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles, and its first-order reaction rate constant (k) and average initial rate (r_ini) were significantly higher in the presence of Eu³⁺-, La³⁺-, Nd³⁺- and Pr³⁺-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles than those in the presence of undoped TiO₂ nanoparticles. The enhanced photocatalytic degradation rate of RB in the presence of Eu³⁺-, La³⁺-, Nd³⁺- and Pr³⁺-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles is attributed to increased charge separation in these systems. The effect of the content of La³⁺ on the reaction parameters (k and r_ini) was also investigated and the result showed that there was an optimal value (ca. 0.5%) of the content of La³⁺ to make the rate constant (k) and average initial rate (r_ini) reach the maxima.     

Ge‐Mediated Modification in Ta3N5 Photoelectrodes with Enhanced Charge Transport for Solar Water Splitting

Ta₃N₅ is a promising photoanode candidate for photoelectrochemical water splitting, with a band gap of about 2.1 eV and a theoretical solar‐to‐hydrogen efficiency as high as 15.9 % under AM 1.5 G 100 mW cm^?2 irradiation. However, the presently achieved highest photocurrent (ca. 7.5 mA cm^?2) on Ta₃N₅ photoelectrodes under AM 1.5 G 100 mW cm^?2 is far from the theoretical maximum (ca. 12.9 mA cm^?2), which is possibly due to serious bulk recombination (poor bulk charge transport and charge separation) in Ta₃N₅ photoelectrodes. In this study, we show that volatilization of intentionally added Ge (5 %) during the synthesis of Ta₃N₅ promotes the electron transport and thereby improves the charge‐separation efficiency in bulk Ta₃N₅ photoanode, which affords a 320 % increase of the highest photocurrent comparing with that of pure Ta₃N₅ photoanode under AM 1.5 G 100 mW cm^?2 simulated sunlight.