Abstract
Hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanorod films with their surface tuned by W6+ doping have been investigated as oxygen-evolving photoanodes in photoelectrochemical cells. X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurements have been performed on the undoped and W6+-doped α-Fe2O3 nanorod films. W6+ doping is found to primarily affect the photoluminescence properties of α-Fe2O3 nanorod films. Comparisons are drawn between undoped and W6+-doped α-Fe2O3 nanorod films, WO3 films, and α-Fe2O3-modified WO3 composite electrodes. A close correlation between dopant concentration, photoluminescence intensity, and anodic photocurrent was observed. It is suggested that W6+ surface doping promotes charge transfer in α-Fe2O3 nanorods, giving rise to the enhanced PEC performance. These results suggest surface tuning via ion doping should represent a viable strategy to further improve the efficiency of α-Fe2O3 photoanodes.
Original language | British English |
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Pages (from-to) | 327-336 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Nano Research |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2012 |
Keywords
- hematite
- nanorods
- photoanodes
- Surface tuning