Influence Applied Potential on the Formation of Self-Organized ZnO Nanorod Film and Its Photoelectrochemical Response

Samad, Nur Azimah Abd and Lai, Chin Wei and Hamid, Sharifah Bee Abd (2016) Influence Applied Potential on the Formation of Self-Organized ZnO Nanorod Film and Its Photoelectrochemical Response. International Journal of Photoenergy, 2016. pp. 1-8. ISSN 1110-662X, DOI https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/1413072.

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Abstract

The present paper reports on the facile formation of ZnO nanorod photocatalyst electrodeposited on Zn foil in the production of hydrogen gas via water photoelectrolysis. Based on the results, ZnO nanorod films were successfully grown via electrochemical deposition in an optimum electrolyte set of 0.5 mM zinc chloride and 0.1 M potassium chloride at pH level of 5-6 and electrochemical deposition temperature of around 70°C. The study was also conducted at a very low stirring rate with different applied potentials. Applied potential was one of the crucial aspects in the formation of self-organized ZnO nanorod film via control of the field-assisted dissolution and field-assisted deposition rates during the electrochemical deposition process. Interestingly, low applied potentials of 1 V during electrochemical deposition produced a high aspect ratio and density of self-organized ZnO nanorod distribution on the Zn substrate with an average diameter and length of ~37.9 nm and ~249.5 nm, respectively. Therefore, it exhibited a high photocurrent density that reached 17.8 mA/cm2 under ultraviolet illumination and 12.94 mA/cm2 under visible illumination. This behaviour was attributed to the faster transport of photogenerated electron/hole pairs in the nanorod’s one-dimensional wall surface, which prevented backward reactions and further reduced the number of recombination centres.

Item Type:	Article
Funders:	University of Malaya. Postgraduate Research Fund Scheme (PPP, PG058-2014B), Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FP008-2015A), Grand Challenge Grant (GC002A-15SBS), COMSTECH-TWAS Joint Research Grants Programme for Young Scientists (14-316 RG/MSN/AS_C), Nippon Sheet Glass Foundation for Materials Science and Engineering (IF001-2015)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Formation; Self-Organized; ZnO Nanorod Film; Photoelectrochemical Response
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General)
Divisions:	Nanotechnology & Catalysis Research Centre
Depositing User:	Ms. Juhaida Abd Rahim
Date Deposited:	14 Jul 2017 03:40
Last Modified:	19 Oct 2018 03:38
URI:	http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/17506

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