Journal
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY
Volume 385, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA
DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2020.125352
Keywords
Photoelectrochemical; Water splitting; Hf doped ZnO
Funding
- Arctic Center for Sustainable Energy (ARC), UiT The Arctic University of Norway [310059]
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Generation of hydrogen using photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has attracted researchers for the last two decades. Several materials have been utilized as a photoanode in a water splitting cell, including ZnO due to its abundance, low production cost and suitable electronic structure. Most research attempts focused on doping ZnO to tailor its properties for a specific application. In this work, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to precisely dope ZnO with hafnium (Hf) in order to enhance its PEC performance. The resultant doped materials showed a significant improvement in PEC efficiency compared to pristine ZnO, which is linked directly to Hf introduction revealed by detailed optical, structural and electrical analyses. The photocurrent obtained in the best performing Hf-doped sample (0.75 wt% Hf) was roughly threefold higher compared to the undoped ZnO. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and open-circuit potential-decay (OCPD) measurements confirmed suppression in photocarriers' surface recombination in the doped films, which led to a more efficient PEC water oxidation. The enhanced PEC performance of Hf-doped ZnO and effectiveness of the used metal dopant are credited to the synergistic optimization of chemical composition, which enhanced the electrical, structural including morphological, and optical properties of the final material, making Hf-doping an attractive candidate for novel PEC electrodes.
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