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Morphology-controlled synthesis of Ti-doped α-Fe2O3 nanorod arrays as an efficient photoanode for photoelectrochemical applications

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Abstract

Few reports have been published on the optimization of nanostructures while doping with the Ti (Ti3+/Ti4+) elemental. Here, Ti-doped α-Fe2O3 nanorod arrays prepared via the hydrothermal method with the addition of TiCl3 as the Ti source and urea as the morphological regulator were used as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical cells. In the process of a hydrothermal reaction, Ti elemental was incorporated into α-Fe2O3 photoanodes using TiCl3 as precursor and urea was used as the morphological regulator to assist α-Fe2O3 to form nanorod arrays. The photoelectrochemical performance of the as-prepared Ti-doped α-Fe2O3 nanorod array (TF1) photoanodes exhibited a remarkable photocurrent of 0.22 mA cm−2 (275 times higher than that of the undoped α-Fe2O3 nanorod arrays) at 1.23 V (vs. RHE) and a 150-mV cathodic shift of photocurrent onset potential. The enhanced photoelectrochemical performance was ascribed to the synergistic effect of the one-dimensional nanoarray structure and the Ti elemental doping, which increased donor density and reduced photogenerated electron–hole recombination.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully thank the “National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 51573058)” for financial support of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, People’s Republic of China

    Qiongke Wang, Yanfeng Chen, Jiajie Xu, Yue Situ & Hong Huang

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  1. Qiongke Wang
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  2. Yanfeng Chen
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Correspondence to Yanfeng Chen or Hong Huang.

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Wang, Q., Chen, Y., Xu, J. et al. Morphology-controlled synthesis of Ti-doped α-Fe2O3 nanorod arrays as an efficient photoanode for photoelectrochemical applications. Res Chem Intermed 44, 2365–2378 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11164-017-3234-7

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