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Photoelectrochemical stability improvement of cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) thin films in aqueous solution
Author(s) -
Yang Ying,
Han Juan,
Ning Xiaohui,
Su Jinzhan,
Shi Jinwen,
Cao Wei,
Xu Wei
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of energy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.808
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1099-114X
pISSN - 0363-907X
DOI - 10.1002/er.3328
Subject(s) - aqueous solution , copper , oxide , thin film , metal , plating (geology) , photoelectrochemistry , inorganic chemistry , materials science , chemistry , semiconductor , chemical engineering , electrochemistry , metallurgy , nanotechnology , electrode , optoelectronics , geophysics , geology , engineering
Summary The photoelectrochemical (PEC) stability of cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) is improved by using the p‐type Cu 2 O films containing metallic copper inclusions, which are electrodeposited by controlling the concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate in the plating solutions. The deposited Cu 2 O films change from n‐type to p‐type semiconductor with the increase of sodium dodecyl sulfate concentration to 1.70 mM. The PEC stabilities of p‐type Cu 2 O films reach 99.23% without bias and 86.34% with bias, which are significantly higher than the n‐type Cu 2 O films or the pure p‐type Cu 2 O without copper inclusions. The crystal structure, morphology, and composition of the Cu 2 O films are characterized, and the effect of Cu inclusions on the PEC stability is interpreted through the energy band diagrams. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.