Photoelectrochemical solar water splitting using electrospun TiO2 nanofibers

•We demonstrated a simple electrospinning method for the preparation of THF-treated TiO2 nanofibers.•The photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO2 nanofibers were systematically investigated by varying the annealing temperature and film thickness.•The film thickness plays a significant role, with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied surface science 2015-02, Vol.328, p.109-114
Main Authors: Mali, Mukund G., An, Seongpil, Liou, Minho, Al-Deyab, Salem S., Yoon, Sam S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Electrospinning
Film thickness
Optimization
Photo current density
Photocurrent
Spinning
Tin oxides
TiO2 nanofibers
Titanium dioxide
Water splitting
X-ray diffraction
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Summary:•We demonstrated a simple electrospinning method for the preparation of THF-treated TiO2 nanofibers.•The photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO2 nanofibers were systematically investigated by varying the annealing temperature and film thickness.•The film thickness plays a significant role, with a 4.67-μm film producing an optimal photocurrent of around 150μA/cm2. TiO2 nano-fibrous films of thicknesses ranging from 0.17 to 3.24μm were prepared on an indium-doped tin oxide substrate using an electrospinning technique for which the spinning time was varied from 5 to 60min. The structural and morphological aspects were studied by means of XRD, Raman, and SEM analyses. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of the films were tested by performing current–potential measurements. The optimal PEC performance was explored by varying the experimental conditions, specifically, the spinning time (5–60min) and the annealing temperature (300, 500, and 700°C). A comparison of the PEC performance of all the NF film thicknesses (0.17, 0.31, 1.53, 2.16, 4.67, and 7.53μm) revealed that a thickness of 4.67μm, that is, a film formed by electrospinning over a duration of 45min, exhibited the optimum level of PEC performance. This film generated a photocurrent of around 150μA/cm2, which was larger than the PEC values produced by the other films. The PEC performance of the 7.53-μm TiO2 NF film (produced by coating for 60min) was found to be inferior to that of all the other thicknesses.
ISSN:0169-4332
1873-5584
DOI:10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.12.022