Enhancement of photoelectrochemical performance of AACVD-produced TiO 2 electrodes by microwave irradiation while preserving the nanostructure

Asif Ali Tahir, T. A. Nirmal Peiris, K. G. Upul Wijayantha

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26 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

TiO 2 electrodes are deposited on FTO-glass substrates at 350 and 400 °C by aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) and the deposited TiO 2 electrodes are irradiated with microwave radiation (2.45 GHz) at various percentages (10, 25, 50, and 100%). X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern shows that the deposited electrodes have anatase phase TiO 2 oriented in the (101) direction, and the crystallinity of these electrodes increases after microwave treatment. Field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) surface topography analysis proves the preservation of the nanostructure after exposure to various percentages of microwave radiation. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) studies prove a threefold enhancement of photocurrent density of AACVD-produced TiO 2 electrodes after 100% microwave irradiation. This improved performance of PEC properties is attributed to improvements in the crystallinity and the particle-necking properties. The results presented demonstrate that microwave processing is a promising alternative method to conventional sintering for TiO 2 photoanodes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)107-111
Number of pages5
JournalChemical Vapor Deposition
Volume18
Issue number4-6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • AACVD
  • Electrodes
  • Microwave radiation
  • PEC
  • TiO

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