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Enhancing Water-Splitting Efficiency Using a Zn/Sn-Doped PN Photoelectrode of Pseudocubic α-Fe2O3 Nanoparticles

Posted on 2020-06-16 - 03:44
Abstract α-Phase hematite photoelectrodes can split water. This material is nontoxic, inexpensive, and chemically stable; its low energy gap of 2.3 eV absorbs light with wavelengths lower than 550 nm, accounting for approximately 30% of solar energy. Previously, we reported polyhedral pseudocubic α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals using a facile hydrothermal route to increase spatial charge separation, enhancing the photocurrent of photocatalytic activity in the water-splitting process. Here, we propose a p-n junction structure in the photoanode of pseudocubic α-Fe2O3 to improve short carrier diffusion length, which limits its photocatalytic efficiency. We dope Zn on top of an Fe2O3 photoanode to form a layer of p-type semiconductor material; Sn is doped from the FTO substrate to form a layer of n-type semiconductor material. The p-n junction, n-type Fe2O3:Sn and p-type Fe2O3:Zn, increase light absorption and charge separation caused by the internal electric field in the p-n junction.

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Nanoscale Research Letters

AUTHORS (9)

  • Jie-Xiang Yang
    Yongtao Meng
    Chuan-Ming Tseng
    Yan-Kai Huang
    Tung-Ming Lin
    Yang-Ming Wang
    Jin-Pei Deng
    Hsiang-Chiu Wu
    Wei-Hsuan Hung
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