Electrochemically Enhanced Hydrothermal Production of Cupric Oxide Photoelectrode on Copper Substrate‏

Electrochemically Enhanced Hydrothermal Production of Cupric Oxide Photoelectrode on Copper Substrate‏

Mohammad Mirzaei, Amir Peyman Soleymani, Ali Ashrafi, Mohamad Mohsen Momeni

DOI 10.1149/1945-7111/ab823b

Abstract

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) has emerged as a great potential light absorber for hydrogen production by the means of solar photoelectrochemcial (PECs). In this study, for the very first time, copper oxides were grown on a copper substrate by a combined process of anodic oxidation, hydrothermal synthesis, and partial thermal oxidation. Thin film characterization showed the formation of an oxide layer composing cuprous oxide (Cu2O) and cupric oxide (CuO) with a thickness varying in the range of 1.1 to 1.75 μm. The grazing incident X-ray diffraction (GXRD) patterns showed the growth of Cu2O in the preferred orientation of (111) at 100 °C and pH = 9.35. Electrochemical evaluation of the structure showed a more positive flat band potential, about 0.49 V vs SHE, causing an enhancement of the degree of band bending in the produced semiconductor. In addition, the semiconductor showed a high charge carrier density, in the order of 1020 cm−3, causing a better photocurrent response in the electrochemical evaluations. Therefore, a couple of electrochemical and hydrothermal synthesis can be introduced as a novel method to produce highly efficient copper oxide photocathodes for water splitting.

Journal of The Electrochemical Society

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1149/1945-7111/ab823b/meta