Enhanced photocurrent density of tungsten oxide hollow particle arrays produced by colloidal template synthesis

Tungsten oxide hollow particle arrays were fabricated for use as the photoanode in photoelectrochemical cells. These arrays were constructed through an electrochemical infiltration method in a three-dimensional colloidal array template. The enhanced contact area between the tungsten oxide and the electrolyte resulted in an increase in photocurrent when compared to a cell prepared with no template. The porous structures were greatly influenced by the temperature used during the thermal annealing step. This simple and cost-effective approach resulted in photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production that was three times higher than that of tungsten oxide prepared without the template.