Ultrasound-assisted preparation of semiconductor/polymer photoanodes and their photoelectrochemical properties

Metal oxide-loaded poly(butylmethacrylate) films were sonochemically prepared and used as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical cells. A small quantity of polyaniline was added during the latex synthesis to facilitate the transport of charge carriers. The semiconductor metal oxides used in this study were ZnO, TiO₂, and Bi₂O₃/ZrTiO₄. The performance of the photoanodes was evaluated by measuring the short-circuit current (I_sc) and open-circuit potential (V_oc) in four different electrolytes. It was found that photocurrents generated were directly proportional to the amount of metal oxide loading, whereas a decrease in photocurrent was observed with an increase in the thickness of the latex film. At 0.4 g loading, Bi₂O₃/ZrTiO₄ latex showed the highest photocurrent of 0.9 μA/cm² in aqueous formic acid solution. On the basis of the photocurrents generated, the performance of the three different oxide films is as follows: Bi₂O₃/ ZrTiO₄ ZnO TiO₂.