Issue 17, 2015

Tree branch-shaped cupric oxide for highly effective photoelectrochemical water reduction

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.

Graphical abstract: Tree branch-shaped cupric oxide for highly effective photoelectrochemical water reduction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 Jan 2015
Accepted
25 Feb 2015
First published
03 Mar 2015

Nanoscale, 2015,7, 7624-7631

Author version available

Tree branch-shaped cupric oxide for highly effective photoelectrochemical water reduction

Y. J. Jang, J. Jang, S. H. Choi, J. Y. Kim, J. H. Kim, D. H. Youn, W. Y. Kim, S. Han and J. Sung Lee, Nanoscale, 2015, 7, 7624 DOI: 10.1039/C5NR00208G

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