Pt-functionalized Fe2O3 photoanodes for solar water splitting: the role of hematite nano-organization and the platinum redox stateElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details on the adopted synthesis and characterization techniques as well as additional FE-SEM, AFM, XRD, XPS and TAS data on Pt/α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites. See DOI: 10.1039/c5cp01636c

• Main Authors: Warwick, M. E. A, Barreca, D, Bontempi, E, Carraro, G, Gasparotto, A, Maccato, C, Kaunisto, K, Ruoko, T.-P, Lemmetyinen, H, Sada, C, Gönüllü, Y, Mathur, S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1463-9076; 1463-9084
• DOI: 10.1039/c5cp01636c

Pt/α-Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposites were synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by a sequential plasma enhanced-chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD)/radio frequency (RF) sputtering approach, tailoring the overall Pt content as a function of sputtering time. The chemico-physical properties of the as-prepared systems were extensively investigated by means of complementary techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and optical absorption spectroscopy, and compared to those of the homologous Pt/α-Fe 2 O 3 systems annealed in air prior and/or after sputtering. The obtained results evidenced that the material compositional, structural and morphological features, with particular regard to the Pt oxidation state and hematite nano-organization, could be finely tailored as a function of the adopted processing conditions. Pt/α-Fe 2 O 3 systems were finally tested as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting experiments, evidencing a remarkable interplay between functional performances and the above-mentioned material properties, as also testified by transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) results. Pt/α-Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposite photoanodes for solar water splitting are synthesized and deeply investigated to unravel the role of hematite nano-organization and the platinum redox state in photoelectrochemical performances.