New Insight into Understand the Enhanced Photoconductivity Properties of Ti (O 2 ) Plate Spurted with Al 2 O 3 for Water Oxidation

The development of efficient, economic and environmentally friendly photoanode remains the primary materials challenge in the establishment of a scalable technology for solar water oxidation. Thus, for the simple materials such as Titania (TiO 2 ) and its composites, was prepared by an easy method and studied extensively. High efficiency photoanode materials require properties like light trapping, electron and hole transportation. To provide a more efficient large scale TiO 2 coating, we introduce a high throughput methodology wherein Al 2 O 3 was spurted on titanium (Ti) plate. Photocurrents corresponding to water oxidation, under a standard AM 1.5G solar illumination, in a photoelectrochemical cell using Al 2 O 3 spurted TiO 2 film as photoanode was investigated and highest photocurrent of 40 μA cm −2 at zero bias vs (Ag/AgCl) was achieved when compared to pure TiO 2 . The light absorbing capability of the Al 2 O 3 spurted TiO 2 photoanode was demonstrated from the UV‐Visible diffuse reflectance spectra and decrease in the band gap of 0.13 eV for the TiO 2 film was observed which could be attributed to the improved photocurrents due to the increased charge carriers on the TiO 2 film. Increase of charge carrier concentration on the TiO 2 film could be effected due to the passivation of surface states upon Al 2 O 3 spurting.