Enhancing Water-Splitting Efficiency Using a Zn/Sn-Doped PN Photoelectrode of Pseudocubic α-Fe2O3 Nanoparticles

Nanoscale Research Letters

Yongtao Meng¹  Jin-Pei Deng²  Chuan-Ming Tseng³  Yan-Kai Huang³  Hsiang-Chiu Wu⁴  Wei-Hsuan Hung⁵  Tung-Ming Lin⁵  Jie-Xiang Yang⁵  Yang-Ming Wang⁵ 

[1] College of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Shandong University of Science and Technology;Department of Chemistry, Tamkang University;Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology;Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University;Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Central University;

关键词: Pseudocubic α-Fe2O3;    Water splitting;    p-n junction;    Solar energy;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s11671-020-03362-5

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract α-Phase hematite photoelectrodes can split water. This material is nontoxic, inexpensive, and chemically stable; its low energy gap of 2.3 eV absorbs light with wavelengths lower than 550 nm, accounting for approximately 30% of solar energy. Previously, we reported polyhedral pseudocubic α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals using a facile hydrothermal route to increase spatial charge separation, enhancing the photocurrent of photocatalytic activity in the water-splitting process. Here, we propose a p-n junction structure in the photoanode of pseudocubic α-Fe2O3 to improve short carrier diffusion length, which limits its photocatalytic efficiency. We dope Zn on top of an Fe2O3 photoanode to form a layer of p-type semiconductor material; Sn is doped from the FTO substrate to form a layer of n-type semiconductor material. The p-n junction, n-type Fe2O3:Sn and p-type Fe2O3:Zn, increase light absorption and charge separation caused by the internal electric field in the p-n junction.

【 授权许可】

Unknown