3D ZnIn2S4 nanosheet/TiO2 nanowire arrays and their efficient photocathodic protection for 304 stainless steel

By Sun, Wenxia; Wei, Na; Cui, Hongzhi; Lin, Yuan; Wang, Xinzhen; Tian, Jian; Li, Jian; Wen, Jing
Published in Applied Surface Science 2018

Abstract

A well-designed heterostructure engineered ZnIn2S4 nanosheet/TiO2 nanowire arrays photoanode is investigated for photocathodic protection. The ZnIn2S4 nanosheets are distributed uniformly on the surface of the TiO2 nanowire by a hydrothermal method. The stem-and-leaf-like ZnIn2S4 nanosheet/TiO2 nanowire arrays exhibit excellent photoelectrochemical properties, owing to the energy band structure and large surface area. A maximum photocurrent density of 2 mA cm?2 is achieved for the ZnIn2S4 nanosheet/TiO2 nanowire composite film for a 6 h reaction time under white illumination. Moreover, the potential of the 304 stainless steel coupled with the composite film immediately shifts negatively to ?1.17 V (vs. SCE), which is significantly lower than the corrosion potential (?0.201 V vs. SCE). Thus, the composite film offers a superior photocathodic protection for stainless steel against corrosion by a NaCl solution. This study provides a promising approach for the design and synthesis of composite films with enhanced photoelectrochemical performance.

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