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Published on: August 7, 2018
Tree branch-shaped cupric oxide for highly effective photoelectrochemical water reduction
Youn Jeong Jang1, Ji-Wook Jang, Sun Hee Choi
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), San 31 Hyoja-Dong, Pohang, 790-784 South Korea.
Abstract:
Highly efficient tree branch-shaped CuO photocathodes are fabricated using the hybrid microwave annealing process with a silicon susceptor within 10 minutes. The unique hierarchical, one-dimensional structure provides more facile charge transport, larger surface areas, and increased crystallinity and crystal ordering with less defects compared to irregular-shaped CuO prepared by conventional thermal annealing. As a result, the photocathode fabricated with the tree branch-shaped CuO produces an unprecedently high photocurrent density of -4.4 mA cm(-2) at 0 VRHE under AM 1.5 G simulated sunlight compared to -1.44 mA cm(-2) observed for a photocathode fabricated by thermal annealing. It is also confirmed that stoichiometric hydrogen and oxygen are produced from photoelectrochemical water splitting on the tree branch-shaped CuO photocathode and a platinum anode.
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