Title: Efficient photoelectrochemical splitting of water to H₂ and O₂ at nanocrystalline carbon modified (CM)-n-TiO₂ and (CM)-n-Fe₂O₃ thin films

Authors: Yasser A. Shaban, Shahed U.M. Khan

Addresses: National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Kayet Bay, Alexandria, Egypt; Faculty of Marine Sciences, Marine Chemistry Department, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ' Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA

Abstract: Carbon modified titanium oxide (CM-n-TiO₂) and iron (III) oxide (CM-n-Fe₂O₃) thin films were synthesised by thermal flame oxidation of Ti and Fe metal sheets, respectively. Under white light illumination of intensity of 100 mW cm⁻² from a 150 W xenon lamp, the optimised CM-n-TiO₂ and CM-n-Fe₂O₃ photoelectrode were found to split water to H₂ and O₂ with maximum photoconversion efficiencies of 14.04% and 6.5%, respectively. The maximum photoconversion efficiencies obtained from wavelength dependent monochromatic photocurrents were found to be 13.79% and 5.9% for CM-n-TiO₂ and CM-n-Fe₂O₃, respectively, under the same illumination intensity from the xenon lamp. Importantly, under natural global AM 1.5 sunlight illumination of 1 sun, the maximum photoconversion efficiencies for water splitting were found to be 12.26% for CM-n-TiO₂ and of 5.1% for CM-n-Fe₂O₃.

Keywords: water splitting; carbon modified; titanium oxide; iron oxide; solar hydrogen production; nanotechnology; thin films; photoconversion efficiencies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2010.029549

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2010 Vol.7 No.1, pp.69 - 98

Published online: 30 Nov 2009 *

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