Synthesis and Photo-electrochemical characterization of Nanostructured TiO_2 and TiO_2(ns)-V_2O_5 Admixed Electrodes in regard to Hydrogen Production

摘要

A new photoelectrode system TiO_2(ns)-V_2O_5 photoassisted electrolysis of water is described. The nanostructured TiO_2 photoelectrode has been prepared by the hydrolysis of Ti[OCH(CH_3)_2]_4 followed by the deposition of thin film by spin coating. To prepare the TiO_2(ns)-V_2O_5 photoelectrode, vanadium was deposited on the TiO_2(ns) film and subsequently oxidised in O_2 ambient. The TiO_2(ns)-V_2O_5 photoelectrode exehibited enhanced photoVoltage and photocurrent of 600 mV and 9.00 mA cm~(-2) respectively, whereas TiO_2(ns) presented 540 mV and 3.2 mA cm~(-2) respectively. X-ray, SEM and TEM studies has benn carried out to monitor the surface and bulkcharacteristics of TiO_2(ns) and TiO_2(ns)-V_2O_5 photoelectrodes. The rate of hydrogen production under photoelectrolysis was found to be 4.0 lh~(-1)m~(-2) for TiO_2(ns) and 11.0 lh~(-1)m~(-2) for TiO_2(ns)-V_2O_5 photoelectrode The TiO_2(ns) photoelectrode shows the improvement in the PEC characteristics due to higher quantum yield from the nanostructural nature of material. The PEC improvement in the TiO_2(ns)-V_2O_5 photoelectrode is due to increase range of absorption and the decrease of band gap.