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Photoelectrochemical characterization of ITO/TiO2 electrodes obtained by cathodic electrodeposition from aqueous solution

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Abstract

In the present work, the photoelectrochemical characterization of ITO/TiO2 electrodes electrosynthesized at two distinct TiO2 film charges (0.35 and 1.00 C) was performed. Scanning electron microscopy presented a globular-like nanostructure and a typical morphology that are dependent on the growing charge, where the photoelectrode synthesized at 0.35 C presented a more homogeneous morphology. Such dependence was also observed at the photoelectrochemical response, once the photoactivity for the photoelectrode synthesized at 0.35 C was better than the photoelectrode synthesized at 1.00 C, which was explained by the surface recombination process and the electron lifetime. In order to explore the charge-transfer process and the displacement of the quasi-Fermi level upon illumination, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed at distinct applied potentials. EIS results corroborate the previous results, presenting a higher charge-transfer resistance and a lower chemical capacitance for the 1.00 C electrode film, the last one in accordance with the open-circuit voltage decay.

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Acknowledgments

The authors should thank the financial support from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) under Universal Project (446320/2014-5) and Scholarship (158984/2014-5), the National Institute for Science and Technology on Organic Electronics (INEO), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), and Fundação Araucária do Estado do Paraná.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Av. Monteiro Lobato, s/n Km 04, Ponta Grossa, PR, 84016-210, Brazil

    L. F. Marchesi

  2. GENMAT - Grupo de Eletroquímica e Novos Materiais - Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa, 2367, Cuiabá, MT, 78060-900, Brazil

    R. G. Freitas

  3. Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Posta 369, São Carlos, SP, 13560-970, Brazil

    E. R. Spada

  4. Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Av. Brasil, 56, Ilha Solteira, SP, 15385-000, Brazil

    F. R. Paula

  5. Universidade da Integração Latino-Americana, Av. Silvio Américo Sasdelli, 1842, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, 85866-000, Brazil

    M. S. Góes

  6. Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Av. Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, Ponta Grossa, PR, 84030-900, Brazil

    L. F. Marchesi & J. R. Garcia

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  1. L. F. Marchesi
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Correspondence to J. R. Garcia.

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Marchesi, L.F., Freitas, R.G., Spada, E.R. et al. Photoelectrochemical characterization of ITO/TiO2 electrodes obtained by cathodic electrodeposition from aqueous solution. J Solid State Electrochem 19, 2205–2211 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-015-2848-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-015-2848-1

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