Polypyrrole sensitized ZnO nanorod arrays for efficient photo-electrochemical splitting of water

摘要

In this paper, we report the fabrication and characterization of PPy sensitized ZnO nanorod arrays (PPy/ZnO NRs), and its use as a photo-electrode for efficient photo-electrochemical splitting of water under solar light. PPy/ZnO NRs were synthesized on a large scale on indium tin oxide (ITO) by a simple two-step method. UV-vis spectrum showed that PPy/ZnO NRs had strong absorption in nearly the visible light spectrum. FTIR results indicated that there might be a strong interaction between PPy and ZnO with the valence bond of COZn. The photo-electrochemical measurements of PPy/ZnO NRs exhibited extreme optimal photocurrent up to 0.68 mA/cm~2. The results implied that PPy/ZnO NRs offerred improved light absorption, increased photocurrent generation due to the effective charge separation in PPy and ZnO NRs, and enhanced oxidized H_2O kinetics because of the synergistic effect of PPy and ZnO NRs.