Electrochemical preparation of hematite nanostructured films for solar hydrogen production

¹ Materials and Energy Research Center, Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Department, 31787-316, Alborz, Iran
² Materials and Energy Research Center, Ceramic Department, 31787-316, Alborz, Iran

^a e-mail: na.kazemi@gmail.com

Abstract

Photoelectrochemical water splitting is a clean and promising technique for using a renewable source of energy, i.e., solar energy, to produce hydrogen. In this work electrochemical formation of iron oxyhydroxide and its conversion to hematite (α- Fe₂O₃) through thermal treatment have been studied. Oxyhydroxide iron compounds have been prepared onto SnO₂/F covered glass substrate by potential cycling with two different potential sweep rate values; then calcined at 520 °C in air to obtain α-Fe₂O₃ nanostrutured films for their implementation as photoanode in a photoelectrochemical cell. X-ray diffraction analysis allowed finding that iron oxides films have nanocrystalline character. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that films have nanostructured morphology. The obtained results are discussed considering the influence of potential sweep rate employed during the preparation of iron oxyhydroxide film on optical, structural and morphological properties of hematite nanostructured films. Results show that films have acceptable characteristics as photoanode in a photoelectrochemical cell for hydrogen generation from water.