A novel approach for the preparation of textured CuO thin films from electrodeposited CuCl and CuBr

Emin, Saim; Abdi, Fatwa F.; Fanetti, Mattia; Peng, Wenqin; Smith, Wilson A.; Sivula, Kevin; Dam, B.; Valant, Matjaž

doi:10.1016/j.jelechem.2014.01.038

Cited by 40 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…3,4 In this work, we investigated hole transport in cupric oxide (CuO), a p-type semiconductor. Due to its relatively small bandgap (1.2-1.8 eV) and a conduction band minimum located at a more negative potential than that of water reduction, [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] it has the potential to serve as an inexpensive and environmentally benign photocathode for a water splitting PEC. However, like other TMOs, CuO suffers from poor carrier conductivity, which limits the effectiveness of CuO-based devices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, like other TMOs, CuO suffers from poor carrier conductivity, which limits the effectiveness of CuO-based devices. 12,13,15,16 Additionally, cathodic photocorrosion of CuO can also limit the use of CuO for photoelectrochemical applications. Fortunately, a recent study demonstrated that the photocorrosion of CuO can be effectively suppressed by depositing a thin protection layer that prevents direct contact of CuO and the electrolyte, 14 which encourages studies on further improving charge transport and photoelectrochemical properties of CuO.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mechanistic insights of enhanced spin polaron conduction in CuO through atomic doping

Smart

Cardiel

et al. 2018

npj Comput Mater

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The formation of a "spin polaron" stems from strong spin-charge-lattice interactions in magnetic oxides, which leads to a localization of carriers accompanied by local magnetic polarization and lattice distortion. For example, cupric oxide (CuO), which is a promising photocathode material and shares important similarities with high T c superconductors, conducts holes through spin polaron hopping with flipped spins at Cu atoms where a spin polaron has formed. The formation of these spin polarons results in an activated hopping conduction process where the carriers must not only overcome strong electron−phonon coupling but also strong magnetic coupling. Collectively, these effects cause low carrier conduction in CuO and hinder its applications. To overcome this fundamental limitation, we demonstrate from first-principles calculations how doping can improve hopping conduction through simultaneous improvement of hole concentration and hopping mobility in magnetic oxides such as CuO. Specifically, using Li doping as an example, we show that Li has a low ionization energy that improves hole concentration, and lowers the hopping barrier through both the electron−phonon and magnetic couplings' reduction that improves hopping mobility. Finally, this improved conduction predicted by theory is validated through the synthesis of Li-doped CuO electrodes which show enhanced photocurrent compared to pristine CuO electrodes. We conclude that doping with nonmagnetic shallow impurities is an effective strategy to improve hopping conductivities in magnetic oxides.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanistic insights of enhanced spin polaron conduction in CuO through atomic doping

Smart

Cardiel

et al. 2018

npj Comput Mater

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“…[5][6][7] Besides a relatively narrow-band gap (1.8-2.5 eV) required to harvest most of the visible light region of the solar spectrum, excellent separation efficiency for photogenerated electron and hole pairs and long-term stability under water splitting reaction conditions are the major prerequisites that make the identification of a champion material a synthetic challenge. [8][9][10][11][12] Among the numerous materials such as metal oxides, sulfides, nitrides, phosphides and other compositions investigated for PEC water splitting, [13][14][15][16][17][18][19] transition metal oxides have attracted much interest due to their intrinsically high chemical stability and high abundance. Metal sulfides and metal nitrides usually contain a much smaller band gap, but their poor stabilities significantly limited their further application for PEC applications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constructing Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ core–shell photoelectrodes for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

et al. 2015

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In this study, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) was utilized to co-axially modify hydrothermally grown Fe2O3 nanorod arrays by depositing a TiO2 overlayer to create Fe2O3/TiO2 core-shell photoelectrodes. Comprehensive structural (XRD, SEM, TEM) and compositional (XPS) analyses were performed to understand the effects of the TiO2 shell on the PEC activities of the Fe2O3 core. It was revealed that the heterojunction structure formed between TiO2 and Fe2O3, significantly improved the separation efficiency of photo-induced charge carriers and the oxygen evolution kinetics. A maximum photocurrent density of ∼900 μA cm(-2) at 0.6 V vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE) was obtained for the Fe2O3/TiO2 photoelectrodes, which was 5 and 18 times higher when compared to that of hydrothermally synthesized Fe2O3 and PECVD synthesized TiO2 electrodes, respectively. Moreover, the Fe2O3/TiO2 core-shell nanorod arrays displayed superior stability for PEC water splitting. During 5000 s PEC measurements, a steady decrease of the photocurrent was observed, mainly attributed to the evolution of oxygen bubbles adsorbed on the working electrodes. This observation was verified by the complete recovery of the PEC performance demonstrated for a second 5000 s PEC measurement carried out after a brief time interval (10 min) that allowed the electrode surface to regenerate.

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“…In this work, the photocurrent response measured for the CuO films given in Figure 10 are not entirely due to H 2 evolution reaction as part of the observed current may have been due to photocorrosion. 35 , 42 , 56 The photogenerated electrons will be more useful for proton reduction to H 2 during photocatalysis if photocorrosion in the films is inhibited. The stability of the CuO films could be improved by the coating of its surface with a thin layer of activated carbon, 57 deposition of a protective layer of a more stable metal oxide such as TiO 2, 41 and surface decoration with a metal such as nickel (Ni).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Promising Three-Step Heat Treatment Process for Preparing CuO Films for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution from Water

2021

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Copper (II) oxide (CuO) nanostructures were prepared on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) using a three-step heat treatment process in a sol–gel dip-coating method. The precursor used for the dip-coating process was prepared using copper acetate, propan-2-ol, diethanolamine, and polyethylene glycol 400. Dip-coated films in layers of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 were prepared by drying each layer at 110 and 250 °C for 10 and 5 min, respectively, followed by calcination at 550 °C for 1 h. The films were applied toward photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the films confirmed the tenorite phase of pure CuO. Raman spectroscopy revealed the 1A g and 2B g phonon modes of CuO, confirming the high purity of the films produced. The CuO films absorb significant photons in the visible spectrum due to their low optical band gap of 1.25–1.33 eV. The highest photocurrent of −2.0 mA/cm 2 at 0.45 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) was recorded for CuO films consisting of six layers under 1 sun illumination. A more porous surface, low charge transfer resistance, and high double-layer capacitance at the CuO/electrolyte interface observed for the films consisting of six layers contributed to the high photocurrent density attained by the films. CuO films consisting of six layers prepared using the conventional two-step heat treatment process for comparative purposes yielded 65.0% less photocurrent at 0.45 V vs RHE compared to similar films fabricated via the three-step heating method. The photocurrent response of the CuO nanostructures prepared using the three-step heat treatment process is promising and can be employed for making CuO for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.

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A novel approach for the preparation of textured CuO thin films from electrodeposited CuCl and CuBr

Cited by 40 publications

References 38 publications

Mechanistic insights of enhanced spin polaron conduction in CuO through atomic doping

Mechanistic insights of enhanced spin polaron conduction in CuO through atomic doping

Constructing Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ core–shell photoelectrodes for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

A Promising Three-Step Heat Treatment Process for Preparing CuO Films for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution from Water

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A novel approach for the preparation of textured CuO thin films from electrodeposited CuCl and CuBr

Cited by 40 publications

References 38 publications

Mechanistic insights of enhanced spin polaron conduction in CuO through atomic doping

Mechanistic insights of enhanced spin polaron conduction in CuO through atomic doping

Constructing Fe2O3/TiO2 core–shell photoelectrodes for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

A Promising Three-Step Heat Treatment Process for Preparing CuO Films for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution from Water

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Constructing Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ core–shell photoelectrodes for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting