Moridon Siti Nurul Falaein, Arifin Khuzaimah, Mohamed Mohamad Azuwa, Minggu Lorna Jeffery, Mohamad Yunus Rozan, Kassim Mohammad B
Fuel Cell Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia.
Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia.
Materials (Basel). 2023 Sep 18;16(18):6261. doi: 10.3390/ma16186261.
The presence of Ti in the structure of TiO nanotube arrays (NTs) has been shown to enhance the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting performance of these NTs, leading to improved results compared to pristine anatase TiO NTs. To further improve the properties related to PEC performance, we successfully produced TiO NTs using a two-step electrochemical anodization technique, followed by annealing at a temperature of 450 °C. Subsequently, MoC was decorated onto the NTs by dip coating them with precursors at varying concentrations and times. The presence of anatase TiO and TiO phases within the TiO NTs was confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The TiO NTs that were decorated with MoC demonstrated a photocurrent density of approximately 1.4 mA cm, a value that is approximately five times greater than the photocurrent density exhibited by the bare TiO NTs, which was approximately 0.21 mA cm. The observed increase in photocurrent density can be ascribed to the incorporation of MoC as a cocatalyst, which significantly enhances the photocatalytic characteristics of the TiO NTs. The successful deposition of MoC onto the TiO NTs was further corroborated by the characterization techniques utilized. The utilization of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) allowed for the observation of MoC particles on the surface of TiO NTs. To validate the composition and optical characteristics of the decorated NTs, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV absorbance analysis were performed. This study introduces a potentially effective method for developing efficient photoelectrodes based on TiO for environmentally sustainable hydrogen production through the use of photoelectrochemical water-splitting devices. The utilization of MoC as a cocatalyst on TiO NTs presents opportunities for the advancement of effective and environmentally friendly photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems.
已表明TiO纳米管阵列（NTs）结构中Ti的存在可增强这些NTs的光电化学（PEC）水分解性能，与原始锐钛矿TiO NTs相比，结果得到改善。为了进一步改善与PEC性能相关的特性，我们使用两步电化学阳极氧化技术成功制备了TiO NTs，随后在450℃的温度下进行退火。随后，通过用不同浓度和时间的前驱体对NTs进行浸涂，将MoC装饰在NTs上。通过X射线衍射（XRD）分析证实了TiO NTs中锐钛矿TiO和TiO相的存在。用MoC装饰的TiO NTs表现出约1.4 mA cm的光电流密度，该值约为裸TiO NTs所表现出的光电流密度（约0.21 mA cm）的五倍。观察到的光电流密度增加可归因于作为助催化剂的MoC的掺入，这显著增强了TiO NTs的光催化特性。所使用的表征技术进一步证实了MoC成功沉积在TiO NTs上。场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）的使用使得能够观察到TiO NTs表面上的MoC颗粒。为了验证装饰后的NTs的组成和光学特性，进行了X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和紫外吸收分析。本研究介绍了一种潜在有效的方法，通过使用光电化学水分解装置，开发基于TiO的高效光电极，用于环境可持续的制氢。在TiO NTs上使用MoC作为助催化剂为有效且环境友好的光电化学（PEC）系统的发展提供了机会。
