Editors' Choice—Perspective—Bipolar Photoactivity: The Anomalous Case of Electrodeposited Copper Oxide Films. Issue 13 (18th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Firouzan, Farinaz; Vali, Abbas; Rajeshwar, Krishnan
• Is Part Of: Journal of the Electrochemical Society. Volume 167:Issue 13(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-09-18
• Subjects: Electrodeposition -- Energy Conversion - Photovoltaics -- Semiconductors -- Thin film growth; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; 541.3705
• DOI: 10.1149/1945-7111/abb351
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-4651

Abstract

Abstract : This Perspective addresses the use of photocurrent polarity (i.e., whether anodic or cathodic) in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) situation to assess whether a given semiconductor electrode sample behaves as an n - or p -type semiconductor. Using electrodeposited copper(I) oxide film as a sample platform, complications arising from the presence of Cu as an unwanted impurity phase and/or PEC corrosion of the oxide film in the photocurrent polarity data are discussed. Such artefacts are shown to be a possible contributory factor in many previous studies that have (erroneously) identified n -type semiconductor behavior in electrodeposited copper oxide films.