Semiconducting and photoelectrochemical properties of the ilmenite CoTiO3 prepared by wet method and its application for O2 evolution under visible light

The ilmenite CoTiO 3 was synthesized by chemical route, and the decomposition of nitrates was followed by thermal analysis (TG/DTA). The intermediate products and single-phase were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). CoTiO 3 was characterized by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of solid state electrochemistry 2020-02, Vol.24 (2), p.357-364
Main Authors: Boudjellal, Loubna, Belhadi, Akila, Brahimi, Razika, Boumaza, Souhila, Trari, Mouhamed
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analytical Chemistry
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Chemical synthesis
Chemistry
Chemistry and Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Crystallites
Diameters
Differential thermal analysis
Electrical properties
Electrochemical analysis
Electrochemistry
Energy Storage
Evolution
Fourier transforms
Ilmenite
Infrared radiation
Optical transition
Organic chemistry
Original Paper
Physical Chemistry
Valence band
X-ray diffraction
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Summary:The ilmenite CoTiO 3 was synthesized by chemical route, and the decomposition of nitrates was followed by thermal analysis (TG/DTA). The intermediate products and single-phase were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). CoTiO 3 was characterized by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum. The BET measurements indicated a small specific surface area (~ 2 m 2  g −1 ). The microstructure, visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), showed medium grains (200–300 nm diameter), and the crystallite size (~ 10 nm) was evaluated from the broadening of XRD peaks. The UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy gave a direct optical transition at 1.88 eV, due to the crystal field splitting of Co 3+ octahedrally coordinated. The electrical properties of CoTiO 3 are characteristics of a semiconducting behavior with activation energy of 0.02 eV. The electrochemical characterization was undertaken to build the energy diagram of CoTiO 3 which predicted the photocatalytic performance for the O 2 -evolution (~ 205 mmol h −1 ) upon visible light (27 mW cm −2 ). Indeed, the valence band (1.67 V REH ) is more anodic than the O 2 level, yielding spontaneous O 2 evolution.
ISSN:1432-8488
1433-0768
DOI:10.1007/s10008-019-04464-6