Photoelectrochemical Properties of Fe2O3 Supported on TiO2-Based Thin Films Converted from Self-Assembled Hydrogen Titanate Nanotube Powders

Abstract EN

A photoanode was fabricated using hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles which had been held in a thin film of hydrogen titanate nanotubes (H-TiNT), synthesized by repetitive self-assembling method on FTO (fluorine-doped tin oxide) glass, which were incorporated via dipping process in aqueous Fe(NO3)3 solution.

Current voltage (I-V) electrochemical properties of the photoanode heat-treated at 500°C for 10 min in air were evaluated under ultraviolet-visible light irradiation.

Microstructure and crystallinity changes were also investigated.

The prepared Fe2O3/H-TiNT/FTO composite thin film exhibited about threefold as much photocurrent as the Fe2O3/FTO film.

The improvement in photocurrent was considered to be caused by reduced recombination of electrons and holes, with an appropriate amount of Fe2O3 spherical nanoparticles supported on the H-TiNT/FTO film.

Nanosized spherical Fe2O3 particles with about 65 wt% on the H-TiNT/FTO film showed best performance in our study.