Fabrication of a TiO<sub>2</sub>/Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Core/Shell Nanostructure by Pulse Laser Deposition toward Stable and Visible Light Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
Hao Lu, Fang Song, Jundie Hu, Bo Chen, Run Zhao, Huishu Li, Chang Ming Li, Jinhua Ye
Abstract
Here, we report the fabrication of TiO2/Fe2O3 core/shell heterojunction nanorod arrays by a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) process and their further use as photoelectrodes toward high-performance visible light photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The morphology, phase, and carrier conduction mechanism of plain TiO2 and TiO2/Fe2O3 core/shell nanostructure were systematically investigated. PEC measurements show that the TiO2/Fe2O3 core/shell nanostructure enhances photocurrent density by nearly 2 times than the plain ones, increases visible light absorption from 400 to 550 nm, raises the on/off separation rate, and delivers high stability with only a 3% decrease of current density for tests of even more than 14 days. This work provides a method to design an efficient nanostructure by combination of a facile hydrothermal process and high-quality PLD process to fabricate a clean surface and excellent crystallinity for charge separation, transfer, and collection toward enhanced PEC properties.