Preparation and photoelectrochemical performance of potassium hexatitanate nanofilm

Qing Hua Qian, Chang Liu, Yu Yan Hu, Zhu Hong Yang, Xin Feng, Xiao Hua Lu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Nanostructured K2Ti6O13 film photoelectrode produced in situ was prepared on indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate by a sol-gel process and characterized by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-Visible diffuse reflectance and Raman spectrometry. The photoelectrochemical performance of K2Ti6O13 film was assessed by electrochemical method. The analytical results showed that the K2Ti6O13 film had a strong and wide absorption in the ultraviolet and visible light range. The band gap energy (Eg) of the film shifted from 3.45 eV (bulk) to 3.05 eV (film). The flat-band potential (Efb) of K2Ti6O13 film was -0.67 V [vs.saturated calomel electrode (SCE)]. The transport of photogenerated electrons and holes was better in K2Ti6O13 film electrode than that in TiO2 film electrode. The photoelectrochemical response of K2Ti6O13 photoelectrode was increased in electrolyte solution with KOH, compared with that in the solution without KOH. The adsorption of OH- on the nanofilm acted as the surface activity center. The mechanism of photolysis was analyzed in terms of photoelectrochemical behavior.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1022-1028
Number of pages7
JournalGuocheng Gongcheng Xuebao/The Chinese Journal of Process Engineering
Volume7
Issue number5
StatePublished - Oct 2007

Keywords

  • Atomic force microscopy
  • Photoelectrochemical performance
  • Potassium hexatitanate film
  • Sol-gel process

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Preparation and photoelectrochemical performance of potassium hexatitanate nanofilm'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this