Sensitization of Mn with CdS nanoparticles via electrochemical deposition technique for photocurrent enhancement of nanomaterial’s-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells

• Published in: Research on chemical intermediates Vol. 44; no. 12; pp. 7231 - 7240
• Main Authors: Ayal, Asmaa Kadim, Lim, Ying-Chin, Farhan, Ahlam Mohammed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Cadmium sulfide; Catalysis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; Energy dispersive X ray spectroscopy; Illumination; Inorganic Chemistry; Light; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Organic chemistry; Photoelectric effect; Photoelectric emission; Photoelectrochemical devices; Physical Chemistry; Quantum efficiency; Scanning electron microscopy; Spectrum analysis; Titanium dioxide; X ray spectra; Electrochemical deposition; CdS; Sensitization with manganese; TiO; Photoconversion efficiency; nanotube; Photoelectrochemical
• ISSN: 0922-6168; 1568-5675
• DOI: 10.1007/s11164-018-3553-3

A photoconversion efficiency of 2.12% was obtained under visible light illumination by nanostructure-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells using Mn/CdS as sensitizer loaded on TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) (Mn/CdS/TiO 2 ). Sensitization of Mn on CdS nanoparticles pre-loaded on TiO 2 NTAs was carried out by a two-step electrodeposition method. Compared with unsensitized TiO 2 NTAs, the photocurrent had increased from 0.03 to 4.12 for Mn/CdS/TiO 2 prepared at 1 min. The effects of deposited Mn on the physical, chemical, and photoelectrochemical properties of the CdS/TiO 2 NTAs nanostructure were investigated by using UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The photoelectrochemical analysis was examined in a three-electrode system under a halogen illumination by using the prepared film as the photo-anode.