Effect of gold underlayer on copper(I) oxide photocathode performance

Effect of gold underlayer on copper(I) oxide photocathode performance

Copper(I) oxide (Cu2O) is a very favorable p-type semiconductor. It is an appealing candidate for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here we report the fabrication and performance of gold (Au) underlayer–Cu2O composite photocathode for photoelectrochemical water splitting. The composite photocath...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of materials research Vol. 32; no. 9; pp. 1656 - 1664
Main Authors: Lan, Tian, Mundt, Colton, Tran, Minh, Padalkar, Sonal
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 15-05-2017
Springer International Publishing
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Applied and Technical Physics
Biomaterials
Copper
Copper oxides
Efficiency
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Electrodes
Electrolytes
Energy
Glass substrates
Gold
Inorganic Chemistry
Materials Engineering
Materials research
Materials Science
Morphology
Nanoparticles
Nanotechnology
P-type semiconductors
Photocathodes
Process parameters
Scanning electron microscopy
Spectrum analysis
Water splitting
New York
United States > US
electrodeposition
absorption
water
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Summary:Copper(I) oxide (Cu2O) is a very favorable p-type semiconductor. It is an appealing candidate for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here we report the fabrication and performance of gold (Au) underlayer–Cu2O composite photocathode for photoelectrochemical water splitting. The composite photocathode was fabricated by the electrodeposition technique. The different morphologies of the Au underlayer were achieved via variation in the process parameters including applied potential, electrolyte pH, and the presence of L-cysteine in the electrolyte. The Cu2O overlayer was also deposited using electrodeposition. Additionally, the influence of morphology variation, of the Au underlayer, on the performance of the composite photocathode was evaluated. It was observed that the performance of the composite photocathode increased by 81% when compared to a control sample of Cu2O. The composite photocathodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
ISSN:0884-2914
2044-5326
DOI:10.1557/jmr.2017.130