Fabrication of Cu2O/TiO2 Nanotubes Heterojunction Arrays and Investigation of Their Photoelectrochemical Behaviour.

摘要

In the frame of the grant W911NF-11-1-0386, this 4th interim report is focused on the fabrication of Cu2O/TiO2 nanotubes heterojunction arrays to be used in photovoltaic or photoelectrochemical solar cells. The presence of Cu2O nanoparticles on the TiO2 NTs surface may overcome the low charge separation efficiency because of the superior host structure provided spatially by the TiO2 nanotubes array besides their matched energy bands. Moreover, the highly ordered nanotube arrays creates a better opportunity to improve photogenerated carrier lifetime. Thus, starting from previous experimental results on TiO2 nanotubes (see reports prepared for grants no W911NF-09-10461 and W911NF-10-1-0465), we want to develop a procedure able to allow the fabrication of heterojunctions with improved photoelectrochemical properties with respect to those shown by the not functionalized NTs.