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Plasmon‐Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Using Au Nanoparticles Decorated on Hematite Nanoflake Arrays
Author(s) -
Wang Lei,
Zhou Xuemei,
Nguyen Nhat Truong,
Schmuki Patrik
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201403013
Subject(s) - photocurrent , hematite , water splitting , materials science , nanoparticle , reversible hydrogen electrode , photoelectrochemistry , electrode , plasmon , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , electrochemistry , photocatalysis , optoelectronics , chemistry , catalysis , working electrode , metallurgy , biochemistry , engineering
Abstract Hematite nanoflake arrays were decorated with Au nanoparticles through a simple solution chemistry approach. We show that the photoactivity of Au‐decorated Fe 2 O 3 electrodes for photoelectrochemical water oxidation can be effectively enhanced in the UV/Visible region compared with the bare Fe 2 O 3 . Au‐nanoparticle‐decorated Fe 2 O 3 nanoflake electrodes exhibit a significant cathodic shift of the onset potential up to 0.6 V [vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)], and a two times increase in the water oxidation photocurrent is achieved at 1.23 V RHE . A maximum photocurrent of 2.0 mA cm −2 at 1.6 V RHE is obtained in 1 M KOH under AM 1.5 (100 mW cm −2 ) conditions. The enhancement in photocurrent can be attributed to the Au nanoparticles acting as plasmonic photosensitizers that increase the optical absorption.