1 research outputs found
Tuning the Fermi Level and the Kinetics of Surface States of TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanorods by Means of Ammonia Treatments
Ammonia-induced
reduction treatment of titanium dioxide rutile
nanorods has been performed, where the treatment triggered a synergistic
surface modification of titania electrodes that enhanced its overall
photoelectrochemical performance, besides introducing a new absorption
band in the 420ā480 nm range. A physical model has been proposed
to reveal the role of each fundamental interfacial property on the
observed behavior. On the one hand, by tuning the Fermi level position,
charge separation was optimized by adjusting the depletion region
width to maximize the potential drop inside titanium dioxide and also
filling the surface states, which in turn decreased electronāhole
recombination. On the other hand, by increasing the density of surface
holes traps (identified as surface hydroxyl groups), the average hole
lifetime was extended, depicting a more efficient hole transfer to
electrolyte species. The proposed model could serve as a rationale
for controlled interfacial adjustment of nanostructured photoelectrodes
tailoring them for the required application