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On the Substantially Improved Photoelectrochemical Properties of Nanoporous WO3 Through Surface Decoration with RuO2

Electrocatalysis volume 4, pages 382–389 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Solar fuel generation, either through photochemical or photoelectrochemical (PEC) routes, is one of the most prominent pathways to harvest sunlight in order to contribute to a diversified and sustainable energy supply. Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) from aqueous solutions is the half reaction of different energy related reaction schemes, most importantly stoichiometric water splitting (H2 generation) or CO2 reduction. In this paper, we present PEC water oxidation (OER) on nanoporous WO3 films, decorated with RuO2 nanoparticles. The morphology and the composition of these nanostructured assemblies were characterized by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry while their photo-electrochemical behavior was evaluated by photovoltammetry and incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) measurements. The O2 evolution capability was directly assessed by determining the amount of evolved O2 gas during PEC oxidation of water. The RuO2 electrocatalyst substantially increased photoanodic current flow through facile transfer of photogenerated holes from WO3 to the solution, thereby improving interfacial charge transfer kinetics. Both absolute and relative enhancement of photocurrents was analyzed as a function of the applied external bias potential giving important insight into the mechanistic details. Furthermore, the decisive roles of the amount of RuO2 co-catalyst and thermal pretreatment were established by synthesizing hybrid assemblies with different RuO2 coverage, and applying subsequent thermal treatment, respectively. Through careful optimization of the composition of the hybrid material, the IPCE value doubled at lower bias potentials and was increased close to the theoretical 100 % limit at higher positive potential values. These results demonstrate the synergy gained by combining the excellent photoanodic properties of nanoporous WO3 with the robust O2 evolution capabilities of RuO2.

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Acknowledgments

C. Janáky gratefully acknowledges support of the European Union under FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IOF, grant number: 274046, as well as from the Hungarian National Development Agency, through the project “TÁMOP-4.2.2.A-11/1/KONV-2012-0047 Biological and Environmental Responses by new functional materials.” We thank colleagues at RenderNet Ltd. for their support in the preparation of the artwork for the manuscript. Finally, we thank the anonymous reviewers for constructive criticisms of an earlier manuscript version.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Planetarium Place, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA

    Csaba Janáky, Wilaiwan Chanmanee & Krishnan Rajeshwar

  2. Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Aradi sq. 1, Szeged, 6720, Hungary

    Csaba Janáky

Authors
  1. Csaba Janáky
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  2. Wilaiwan Chanmanee
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  3. Krishnan Rajeshwar
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Correspondence to Csaba Janáky or Krishnan Rajeshwar.

Additional information

This paper is dedicated to Prof. Achille De Battisti in recognition of his contributions to the field of electrocatalysis. One of the authors (KR) has fond memories of Prof. De Battisti’s collegiality and friendship and our interactions occurred in many meeting venues and parts of the globe over the years. We wish him the best.

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Janáky, C., Chanmanee, W. & Rajeshwar, K. On the Substantially Improved Photoelectrochemical Properties of Nanoporous WO3 Through Surface Decoration with RuO2 . Electrocatalysis 4, 382–389 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12678-013-0177-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12678-013-0177-7

Keywords

  • Water splitting
  • Co-catalyst
  • Semiconductor
  • Solar energy
  • Synergy