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3D FTO/FTO‐Nanocrystal/TiO 2 Composite Inverse Opal Photoanode for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
Author(s) -
Wang Zhiwei,
Li Xianglin,
Ling Han,
Tan Chiew Kei,
Yeo Loo Pin,
Grimsdale Andrew Clive,
Tok Alfred Iing Yoong
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201800395
Subject(s) - photocurrent , materials science , nanocrystal , composite number , nanotechnology , hydrothermal circulation , water splitting , atomic layer deposition , chemical engineering , layer (electronics) , electrode , optoelectronics , photocatalysis , chemistry , catalysis , composite material , biochemistry , engineering
A 3D fluorine‐doped SnO 2 (FTO)/FTO‐nanocrystal (NC)/TiO 2 inverse opal (IO) structure is designed and fabricated as a new “host and guest” type of composite photoanode for efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this novel photoanode design, the highly conductive and porous FTO/FTO‐NC IO acts as the “host” skeleton, which provides direct pathways for faster electron transport, while the conformally coated TiO 2 layer acts as the “guest” absorber layer. The unique composite IO structure is fabricated through self‐assembly of colloidal spheres template, a hydrothermal method and atomic layer deposition (ALD). Owing to its large surface area and efficient charge collection, the FTO/FTO‐NC/TiO 2 composite IO photoanode shows excellent photocatalytic properties for PEC water splitting. With optimized dimensions of the SnO 2 nanocrystals and the thickness of the ALD TiO 2 absorber layers, the 3D FTO/FTO‐NC/TiO 2 composite IO photoanode yields a photocurrent density of 1.0 mA cm −2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) under AM 1.5 illumination, which is four times higher than that of the FTO/TiO 2 IO reference photoanode.