Synthesis of Cu 2 O nanoparticle films at room temperature for solar water splitting

Yan Gu Lin; Yu Kuei Hsu; Yu Chang Lin; Yu Hsueh Chang; San-Yuan Chen; Ying Chu Chen

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2016.03.010

Synthesis of Cu ₂ O nanoparticle films at room temperature for solar water splitting

Yan Gu Lin^*, Yu Kuei Hsu, Yu Chang Lin, Yu Hsueh Chang, San-Yuan Chen, Ying Chu Chen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

A Cu₂O nanoparticle film using ZnO nanorods as a sacrificial scaffold was fabricated near 23 °C, for applications in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Three chemical solutions were utilized to convert ZnO nanorods to a Cu₂O nanoparticle film - solutions of CuCl₂ and NaOH, NaBH₄ and NaOH, respectively. The structural evolution from ZnO through Cu(OH)₂ and metallic Cu to Cu₂O phase was analyzed at each stage with X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectra. The energy bandgap was deduced from IPCE; the concentration of carriers and flat-band of a Cu₂O nanoparticle film were obtained from a Mott-Schottky plot. Significantly, the Cu₂O nanoparticle film exhibited a useful PEC response to water oxidation. This nanostructure synthesized with no energy requirement can not only illustrate a great prospect for solar generation of hydrogen but also offer a blueprint for the future design of photocatalysts.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	76-80
Number of pages	5
Journal	Journal of Colloid And Interface Science
Volume	471
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2016.03.010
State	Published - 1 Jun 2016

Keywords

Copper(I) oxide
Nanoparticles
Photoelectrochemical
Zinc oxide

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jcis.2016.03.010

Cite this

@article{74eab82a9e734c9fbdf4212cb43cac6d,

title = "Synthesis of Cu 2 O nanoparticle films at room temperature for solar water splitting",

abstract = "A Cu2O nanoparticle film using ZnO nanorods as a sacrificial scaffold was fabricated near 23 °C, for applications in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Three chemical solutions were utilized to convert ZnO nanorods to a Cu2O nanoparticle film - solutions of CuCl2 and NaOH, NaBH4 and NaOH, respectively. The structural evolution from ZnO through Cu(OH)2 and metallic Cu to Cu2O phase was analyzed at each stage with X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectra. The energy bandgap was deduced from IPCE; the concentration of carriers and flat-band of a Cu2O nanoparticle film were obtained from a Mott-Schottky plot. Significantly, the Cu2O nanoparticle film exhibited a useful PEC response to water oxidation. This nanostructure synthesized with no energy requirement can not only illustrate a great prospect for solar generation of hydrogen but also offer a blueprint for the future design of photocatalysts.",

keywords = "Copper(I) oxide, Nanoparticles, Photoelectrochemical, Zinc oxide",

author = "Lin, {Yan Gu} and Hsu, {Yu Kuei} and Lin, {Yu Chang} and Chang, {Yu Hsueh} and San-Yuan Chen and Chen, {Ying Chu}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 Elsevier Inc.",

year = "2016",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jcis.2016.03.010",

language = "English",

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T1 - Synthesis of Cu 2 O nanoparticle films at room temperature for solar water splitting

AU - Lin, Yan Gu

AU - Hsu, Yu Kuei

AU - Lin, Yu Chang

AU - Chang, Yu Hsueh

AU - Chen, San-Yuan

AU - Chen, Ying Chu

PY - 2016/6/1

Y1 - 2016/6/1

N2 - A Cu2O nanoparticle film using ZnO nanorods as a sacrificial scaffold was fabricated near 23 °C, for applications in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Three chemical solutions were utilized to convert ZnO nanorods to a Cu2O nanoparticle film - solutions of CuCl2 and NaOH, NaBH4 and NaOH, respectively. The structural evolution from ZnO through Cu(OH)2 and metallic Cu to Cu2O phase was analyzed at each stage with X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectra. The energy bandgap was deduced from IPCE; the concentration of carriers and flat-band of a Cu2O nanoparticle film were obtained from a Mott-Schottky plot. Significantly, the Cu2O nanoparticle film exhibited a useful PEC response to water oxidation. This nanostructure synthesized with no energy requirement can not only illustrate a great prospect for solar generation of hydrogen but also offer a blueprint for the future design of photocatalysts.

AB - A Cu2O nanoparticle film using ZnO nanorods as a sacrificial scaffold was fabricated near 23 °C, for applications in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Three chemical solutions were utilized to convert ZnO nanorods to a Cu2O nanoparticle film - solutions of CuCl2 and NaOH, NaBH4 and NaOH, respectively. The structural evolution from ZnO through Cu(OH)2 and metallic Cu to Cu2O phase was analyzed at each stage with X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectra. The energy bandgap was deduced from IPCE; the concentration of carriers and flat-band of a Cu2O nanoparticle film were obtained from a Mott-Schottky plot. Significantly, the Cu2O nanoparticle film exhibited a useful PEC response to water oxidation. This nanostructure synthesized with no energy requirement can not only illustrate a great prospect for solar generation of hydrogen but also offer a blueprint for the future design of photocatalysts.

KW - Copper(I) oxide

KW - Nanoparticles

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KW - Zinc oxide

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