Electrodeposition of p-type Cu2O on n-type TiO2 nanosheet arrays for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting

Electrodeposition of p-type Cu2O on n-type TiO2 nanosheet arrays for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting

This study synthesized p-type Cu2O using an electrodeposition method and firmly attached it to TiO2 nanosheets based on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates, forming a dense film that serves directly as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Characterization techniques suc...

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Main Authors: Lin Wang, Hai Yu, YaXin Wang, Chun Miao, QianQian Lei, XinPing Yao, XiaoChen Yao, Xin Wei, JianGuo Lv, Yan Xue, JingWen Zhang, SiWen Zhou, DanDan Qu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Electrochemistry Communications
Subjects:
Photoelectrochemical (PEC)
Water splitting
TiO2
P-n heterojunction
Cu2O
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388248125001493
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Summary:This study synthesized p-type Cu2O using an electrodeposition method and firmly attached it to TiO2 nanosheets based on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates, forming a dense film that serves directly as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Characterization techniques such as XRD, SEM, XPS, and UV–Vis confirmed the successful deposition of Cu2O on the TiO2 nanosheets, forming a p-n heterojunction structure. The incorporation of Cu2O effectively broadened the light absorption range of TiO2, with a cut-off wavelength red-shifting to 537 nm, enabling it to absorb more visible light. Photoelectrochemical tests showed that under illuminated unbiased conditions, the photocurrent density of Cu2O-TiO2 reached 0.3 mA/cm2, which is 7.5 times that of TiO2. After applying a small bias (0.5 V), the photocurrent density further increased to 2.1 mA/cm2, 5.2 times that under unbiased conditions, indicating that the introduction of electricity effectively accelerated the separation efficiency of photo-generated carriers. The Cu₂O-TiO₂ heterojunction exhibited significantly higher photocurrent density (measured by LSV) and charge transfer efficiency (evaluated by EIS) than pure TiO₂. This research provides new insights for PEC water splitting technology and serves as a reference for designing high-performance photocatalysts.
ISSN:1388-2481

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