Photoelectrochemical and structural properties of TiO2 nanotubes and nanorods grown on {FTO} substrate: Comparative study between electrochemical anodization and hydrothermal method used for the nanostructures fabrication

By Kmentova, Hana; Kment, Stepan; Wang, Lingyun; Pausova, Sarka; Vaclavu, Tereza; Kuzel, Radomir; Han, Hyungkyu; Hubicka, Zdenek; Zlamal, Martin; Olejnicek, Jiri; Cada, Martin; Krysa, Josef; Zboril, Radek
Published in Catalysis Today NULL 2016

Abstract

Abstract Titanium dioxide in the form of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure arrays represent widely studied morphological arrangement for light harvesting and charge transfer applications such as photocatalysis and photoelectrochemistry (PEC). Here we report a comparative structural and {PEC} study of variously grown 1D TiO2 nanostructures including i) nanorod arrays prepared by a hydrothermal method (TNR), ii) nanotube arrays fabricated by a two-step hydrothermal method using a ZnO nanorod array film as a template (THNT) and finally iii) nanotubes grown by self-organized electrochemical anodization of Ti films deposited on the {FTO} substrate (TNT). These nanostructures are assumed to be utilized as photoanodes in {PEC} water splitting devices. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), {TEM} images and UV-vis absorption spectra were used to characterize TiO2 nanostructures. The {SEM} and {TEM} morphology images revealed that the main difference among the nanostructures grown on the {FTO} are the shape and diameter of the individual nanotubes/nanorods and also the array

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