Versatile synthesis of fluorine-doped tin (IV) oxide one-dimensional nanostructured thin films

Top-down fabrication of fluorine-doped tin oxide nanopillar substrates for solar water splitting

“…In contrast, wet-chemical methods such as sol-gel or spray pyrolysis have been used to produce FTO electrodes of high surface area, including nanoparticles, 17,18 templated inverse opals, 19,20 and nanowires. [21][22][23] Although these structures have demonstrated improved performance over planar samples for DSSC and PEC devices, wet-chemical synthesis routes generally lead to less conductive and less stable TCOs than those synthesized commercially by means of the low-pressure, gas-phase synthesis. 24,25 Furthermore, wet chemical routes to FTO generally require the use of the highly toxic uorine ion.…”

Template-Free Nanostructured Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide Scaffolds for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

“…The fabrication of high-quality FTO thin films by different methods, such as magnetron sputtering or air blast spray pyrolysis, has attracted much attention in recent years. − Moreover, the synthesis of nanostructured SnO 2 arrays by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for sensing applications was also reported. − However, the incorporation of fluorine species in the structure of cassiterite SnO 2 has proven to be more challenging. − Motivated by the computational study of Wang et al, demonstrating the potential benefits of high-aspect-ratio scaffolds, we have developed in our lab a novel lateral ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) method, also known as aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD), for the preparation of template-free, highly conductive, and high-aspect-ratio FTO nanopyramids for use as nanostructured scaffolds in photoelectrochemical applications. The main advantages of USP strive in its simplicity and wider choice and availability of precursors together with high deposition rates and precise stoichiometry control.…”