Laser-induced crystallization of anodic TiO(2)nanotube layers

In this study, crystallization of amorphous TiO(2)nanotube (TNT) layers upon optimized laser annealing is shown. The resulting anatase TNT layers do not show any signs of deformation or melting. The crystallinity of the laser annealed TNT layers was investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The study of the (photo-)electrochemical properties showed that the laser annealed TNT layers were more defective than conventional TNT layers annealed in a muffle oven at 400 degrees C, resulting in a higher charge recombination rate and lower photocurrent response. However, a lower overpotential for hydrogen evolution reaction was observed for the laser annealed TNT layer compared to the oven annealed TNT layer.

Keywords

TIO2 NANOTUBE ARRAYS, SENSITIZED SOLAR-CELLS, PHASE-COMPOSITION, ANATASE, WATER, TITANIUM, FILMS, PHOTORESPONSE, MORPHOLOGY, TRANSFORMATIONS

Citation

RSC Advances. 2020, vol. 10, issue 37, p. 22137-22145.
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/RA/D0RA02929G#!divAbstract

Document type

Peer-reviewed

Document version

Published version

Language of document

en

Document licence

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/