Visible-light driven C@TiO2 porous films: Enhanced photoelectrochemical and photoelectrocatalytic performance

Visible-light driven C-modified TiO2 film (C@TiO2 film) was prepared on a conducting substrate and studied as photoanode for photoelectrochemical and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) properties. The as-prepared material was characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, and diffuse reflectance spectra. The C@TiO2 film with multiporous structure exhibited enhanced electrochemical properties and excellent PEC performance, with a seven-fold improvement of photocurrent intensity as compared to unmodified TiO2. The PEC improvement may be resulting from extended visible light-harvesting, low electron transfer resistance, and promoted photocurrent response. This study could provide a new perspective on preparing high performance photoelectric catalyst films. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.