Title
Localized surface states influence in the photoelectrocatalytic performance of Al doped a-SiC:H based photocathodes
Date Issued
01 June 2022
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Mejia M.d.C.
Kurniawan M.
Knauer A.
Bund A.
Publisher(s)
Elsevier Ltd
Abstract
In this work we evaluate the role of a-SiC:H(p)/SiO2 localized surface states (SS) in the Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting reaction. The analysis was carried out in three steps. First, retrieving the a-SiC:H(p) SS, energy distribution and density, by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy techniques. Second, relating these results with direct measurements over the a-SiC:H(p)/SiO2 surface using X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy. Finally, assessing the SS influence in the photo-induced hydrogen reduction by testing the a-SiC:H(p) photocathode with Linear Sweep Voltammetry. The whole analysis was done after subjecting the a-SiC:H(p) surface to different annealing treatments, i.e. 600 °C and 700 °C, necessary to obtain the required ohmic contacts. We believe that the participation of SS in an indirect electron charge transfer to the electrolyte, is kinetically feasible to take place in an a-SiC:H surface with relatively low SS density, ∼0.3×1012 cm-2. Whilst higher SS densities, in the range of ∼1.48×1014 cm-2, would trigger undesired charge carrier recombination.
Volume
143
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Electroquímica
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85123764401
Source
Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing
ISSN of the container
13698001
Sponsor(s)
This research was funded by FONDECYT (National Fund for Scientific, Technological Development and Technological Innovation) under the agreement 147-2017-FONDECYT . M. Mejia has been supported by the CONCYTEC Perú (National Council for Science, Technology and Technological Innovation) doctoral scholarship under the Contract Number 236- 2015-FONDECYT . The authors further acknowledge the PUCP vicechancellorship for research (VRI, Project No. CAP-2019-3-0041/702). The authors would like to thank to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for the short-term grant, no. 91774334 , given to conduct research internships in the Technische Universität Ilmenau (TU Ilmenau). Finally, the authors would like to thank the German Research Foundation (DFG) ( DFGGz: INST 273/56-1 FUGG ) for the financial support to conduct the characterization experiments; and Dr. Gerald Teichert from the Dr. Gerald Teichert from the Center for Micro and Nano Technologies of the Technische Universität Ilmenau to conduct the GDOES experiments. All authors approved the version of the manuscript to be published.
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