Hierarchically branched ZnO/CuO thin film with enhanced visible light photoelectrochemical property

摘要

Hierarchically branched ZnO/CuO film was fabricated by a two-step chemical process on Cu foil. CuO nanowires were firstly synthesized on Cu foil by a simple wet chemical method, and then ZnO nanowires were grown on the CuO nanowire scaffold through a hydrothermal process. Comparing with CuO film, the photocurrent response and incident photon to electron conversion efficiency yielded by the hierarchically branched ZnO/CuO film are significantly enhanced under visible light irradiation, which can be attributed to the large contact area with the electrolyte and direct pathways for charge carrier collection. The hierarchical ZnO/CuO thin film could be a promising material for solar energy conversion. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.