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Effect of Anodization Bath Chemistry on Photochemical Water Splitting Using Titania Nanotubes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Gopal K. Mor
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Oomman K. Varghese
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Maggie Paulose
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Karthik Shankar
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Craig A. Grimes
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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Abstract

In this study highly-ordered titania nanotube arrays of variable wall-thickness and length are used to photocleave water under ultraviolet irradiation. We demonstrate that the wall thickness, and length, of the nanotubes can be controlled via anodization bath composition and temperature. The nanotube length and wall thickness are key parameters influencing the magnitude of the photoanodic response and the overall efficiency of the water-splitting reaction. For 22 nm inner-pore diameter nanotube-arrays 6 μm in length, with 9 nm wall thickness, upon 320–400 nm illumination at an intensity of 100 mW/cm2, hydrogen gas was generated at the power-time normalized rate of 51 mL/hr•W at an overall conversion efficiency of 12.5%. To the best of our knowledge, this hydrogen generation rate is the highest reported for a titania-based photoelectrochemical cell.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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References

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