Lee CY, Wang L, Kado Y, Killian M, Schmuki P (2014)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2014
Book Volume: 7
Pages Range: 934-940
Journal Issue: 3
Anodization of iron substrates is one of the most simple and effective ways to fabricate nanotubular (and porous) structures that could be directly used as a photoanode for solar water splitting. Up to now, all studies in this field focused on achieving a better geometry of the hematite nanostructures for a higher efficiency. The present study, however, highlights that the purity of the iron substrate used for any anodic-hematite-formation approach is extremely important in view of the water-splitting performance. Herein, anodic self-organized oxide morphologies (nanotubular and nanoporous) are grown on different iron substrates under a range of anodization conditions, including elevated temperatures and anodization supported by ultrasonication. Substrate purity has not only a significant effect on oxide-layer growth rate and tube morphology, but also gives rise to a ninefold increase in the photoelectrochemical water-splitting performance (0.250 vs. 0.028mA cm$-$2 at 1.40V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode under AM1.5 100mW cm$-$2 illumination) for 99.99 % versus 99.5 % purity iron substrates of similar oxide geometry. Elemental analysis and model alloys show that particularly manganese impurities have a strong detrimental effect on the water-splitting performance.
APA:
Lee, C.-Y., Wang, L., Kado, Y., Killian, M., & Schmuki, P. (2014). Anodic Nanotubular/porous Hematite Photoanode for Solar Water Splitting: Substantial Effect of Iron Substrate Purity. ChemSusChem, 7(3), 934-940. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201300603
MLA:
Lee, Chong-Yong, et al. "Anodic Nanotubular/porous Hematite Photoanode for Solar Water Splitting: Substantial Effect of Iron Substrate Purity." ChemSusChem 7.3 (2014): 934-940.
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