ALUMINUM–α-HEMATITE THIN FILMS FOR PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL APPLICATIONS

Hussein Alrobei, Ashok Kumar and Manoj K. Ram
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Hussein Alrobei: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA†Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
Ashok Kumar: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
Manoj K. Ram: #x2021;Clean Energy Research Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA

Surface Review and Letters (SRL), 2018, vol. 25, issue 08, 1-8

Abstract: In recent years, photoelectrochemical (PEC) based devices have become attractive due to production of hydrogen by splitting water using photocatalyst alpha (α)-hematite (Fe2O3) as an electrode material due to its bandgap, low cost, chemical stability and extreme abundance in nature. The α-Fe2O3 is also related to low carrier diffusion due to higher resistivity, slow surface kinetics, low electron mobility and higher electro–hole combination. The carrier mobility and carrier diffusion properties of α-Fe2O3 have been enhanced by doping as well as composite formation. Keeping in view the enhanced properties of α-Fe2O3, attempt is being made to dope and form composite using trivalent “aluminum” ions. The Al–α-Fe2O3 nanophotocatalytic materials were synthesized by varying the ratio of Al to α-Fe2O3 using sol–gel technique. The nanomaterials “α-Fe2O3 and Al–α-Fe2O3” were physically characterized through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and UV–visible techniques, respectively. The diffusion coefficient of nanomaterials at the electrode/electrolyte interface was analyzed using electrochemical analysis. Interestingly, the presence of aluminum causes the α-Fe2O3 to change the structural, optical and morphological properties of nanomaterials. The bandgaps of α-Fe2O3 vary from 2.2eV to 2.45eV due to presence of aluminum in the structure. The photocurrent studied on Al–α-Fe2O3 based electrode clearly shows the enhanced hydrogen production under photoelectrochemical cell.

Keywords: Nanostructures; α-hematite; Al-doped α-hematite; photoelectrochemical; surface properties; hydrogen (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1142/S0218625X19500318

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