Issue 11, 2014

A three-dimensional hexagonal fluorine-doped tin oxide nanocone array: a superior light harvesting electrode for high performance photoelectrochemical water splitting

Abstract

Photonic nanostructures hold great promise in promoting light harvesting. Here we report the first design and construction of a three-dimensional (3D) hexagonal nanocone array of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) on glass as an excellent electrode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The PEC current density with suitably deposited Ti-doped hematite at 1.23 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) was increased by 86% to 2.24 ± 0.02 mA cm−2 compared to that with the planar counterpart, mainly ascribable to the special light harvesting effect and the electrode surface area provided by 3D FTO. Upon the embedment of a gold layer to concentrate the incident light onto the hematite layer and the deposition of the Co–Pi catalyst with a modified procedure, the photocurrent experienced a large cathodic shift of onset potential by 360 mV and soared to a high value of 3.39 ± 0.01 mA cm−2 (at 1.23 V), yielding a power conversion efficiency of 0.70% at a potential as low as 0.88 V vs. RHE.

Graphical abstract: A three-dimensional hexagonal fluorine-doped tin oxide nanocone array: a superior light harvesting electrode for high performance photoelectrochemical water splitting

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 May 2014
Accepted
14 Jul 2014
First published
15 Jul 2014

Energy Environ. Sci., 2014,7, 3651-3658

A three-dimensional hexagonal fluorine-doped tin oxide nanocone array: a superior light harvesting electrode for high performance photoelectrochemical water splitting

J. Li, Y. Qiu, Z. Wei, Q. Lin, Q. Zhang, K. Yan, H. Chen, S. Xiao, Z. Fan and S. Yang, Energy Environ. Sci., 2014, 7, 3651 DOI: 10.1039/C4EE01581A

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