Enhanced Charge Transport in Tantalum Nitride Nanotube Photoanodes for Solar Water Splitting. Issue 16 (17th July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Lei; Nguyen, Nhat Truong; Zhou, Xuemei; Hwang, Imgon; Killian, Manuela S.; Schmuki, Patrik
• Is Part Of: ChemSusChem. Volume 8:Issue 16(2015:Aug.)
• Page Start: 2615
• Page End: 2620
• Publication Date: 2015-07-17
• Subjects: Green chemistry -- Periodicals; Sustainable engineering -- Periodicals; Chemistry -- Periodicals; Chemical engineering -- Periodicals; 660
• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201500632
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1864-5631

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>In the present work we grow anodic self‐organized Ta₂O₅ nanotube layers, which are converted by ammonolysis to Ta₃N₅ nanotubes, and then are used as photoanodes for photoanalytic water splitting. We introduce a two‐step anodization process that not only improves order (reduced growth defects) and overall light absorption in the nanotube layers, but also provides a significantly reduced interface charge resistance at the nitride/metal interface due to subnitride (TaN_{<italic>x</italic>}) formation. As a result, such nanotube anodes afford a 15‐fold increase of the photocurrent compared with conventional nanotubular Ta₃N₅ electrodes under AM 1.5 G simulated sunlight (100 mW cm⁻²) conditions.</p> </abstract>