CdS Nanoparticle-Modified α-Fe2O3/TiO2 Nanorod Array Photoanode for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation

In this work, we demonstrate a facile successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction process accompanied by hydrothermal method to synthesize CdS nanoparticle-modified α-Fe2O3/TiO2 nanorod array for efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. By integrating CdS/α-Fe2O3/TiO2 ternary system, light absorption ability of the photoanode can be effectively improved with an obviously broadened optical-response to visible light region, greatly facilitates the separation of photogenerated carriers, giving rise to the enhancement of PEC water oxidation performance. Importantly, for the designed abnormal type-II heterostructure between Fe2O3/TiO2, the conduction band position of Fe2O3 is higher than that of TiO2, the photogenerated electrons from Fe2O3 will rapidly recombine with the photogenerated holes from TiO2, thus leads to an efficient separation of photogenerated electrons from Fe2O3/holes from TiO2 at the Fe2O3/TiO2 interface, greatly improving the separation efficiency of photogenerated holes within Fe2O3 and enhances the photogenerated electron injection efficiency in TiO2. Working as the photoanodes of PEC water oxidation, CdS/α-Fe2O3/TiO2 heterostucture electrode exhibits improved photocurrent density of 0.62 mA cm- 2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in alkaline electrolyte, with an obviously negatively shifted onset potential of 80 mV. This work provides promising methods to enhance the PEC water oxidation performance of the TiO2-based heterostructure photoanodes.