Journal
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
Volume 537, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.147930
Keywords
Nanowires; GaN; InxGa1-xN; Chemical vapor deposition; Photocatalyst
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [51572191, 51402249]
- Open fund of Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Materials and Applications (Xiamen University of Technology) [fma2018006]
- Program for Innovative Research Team in Science and Technology in Fujian Province University (IRTSTFJ)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
InxGa1-xN nanowires with core/shell structure grown on n-type Si substrate by Ni-assisted CVD method were studied for their photocatalytic properties. Thicker GaN shell was found to reduce photoactivity, and a strategy to improve performance was proposed.
InxGa1-xN nanowires (NWs) have drawn great attentions as a promising photocatalyst for H-2 generation via solar water splitting. In this article, m-axial NWs with InxGa1-xN/GaN core/shell structure can be formed spontaneously on the n-type Si (1 1 1) substrate via Ni-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. CVD growth conditions were adjusted by tuning the duration and pressure. The microstructures, surface chemistry, and optical properties of the obtained NWs were characterized using various techniques. The growth mechanism is identified as a two-step process. The InxGa1-xN cores with a high density of basal stacking faults were grown by a vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mode, while the GaN shells were grown on the sidewalls of InxGa1-xN core through a vapor-solid (VS) mode. The photocatalytic activities of the NWs were evaluated by the amount of H-2 generated from water splitting. A thicker GaN shell was revealed to decrease the photoactivity by hindering the charge separation and transfer of electron-hole pairs generated inside the InxGa1-xN cores. A strategy can be proposed to improve the photocatalytic performance of NWs by terminating the VS growth of the GaN shells during the CVD process.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available