Band gap modulation of nanostructured WO3 nanoplate film by Ti doping for enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

Despite being a promising photoanode material for water splitting, WO 3 has low conductivity, high onset potential, and sluggish water oxidation kinetics. In this study, we designed Ti-doped WO 3 nanoplate arrays on fluoride-doped tin oxide by a seed-free hydrothermal method, and the effects of dopi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Central South University 2022-09, Vol.29 (9), p.2968-2979
Main Authors: Tang, Ya-qin, Jiang, Di, Wang, Huan, Zheng, Hong-ye, Ren, Lu-jun, Wei, Kui-xian, Ma, Wen-hui, Dai, Yong-nian, Luo, Da-jun, Zhang, Xue-liang, Liu, Yi-ke
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arrays
Current carriers
Doping
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Engineering
Low conductivity
Metallic Materials
Oxidation
Photoelectric effect
Photoelectrons
Reaction kinetics
Spectrum analysis
Tin oxides
Ultraviolet spectra
Valence band
Water splitting
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Summary:Despite being a promising photoanode material for water splitting, WO 3 has low conductivity, high onset potential, and sluggish water oxidation kinetics. In this study, we designed Ti-doped WO 3 nanoplate arrays on fluoride-doped tin oxide by a seed-free hydrothermal method, and the effects of doping on the photoelectrochemical performance were investigated. The optimal Ti-doped WO 3 electrode achieved a photocurrent density of 0.53 mA/cm 2 at 0.6 V (vs Ag/AgCl), 110% higher than that of pure WO 3 nanoplate arrays. Moreover, a significant cathodic shift in the onset potential was observed after doping. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy valence band and ultraviolet — visible spectra revealed that the band positions of Ti-doped WO 3 photoanodes moved upward, yielding a lower onset potential. Furthermore, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed that the conductivities of the WO 3 photoanodes improved after doping, because of the rapid separation of photo-generated charge carriers. Thus, we report a new design route toward efficient and low-cost photoanodes for photoelectrochemical applications.
ISSN:2095-2899
2227-5223
DOI:10.1007/s11771-022-5125-3