Facile Fabrication of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube/Anatase Composite Thin Film on Quartz Glass Substrate for Translucent Conductive Photoelectrode

A single-walled carbon nanotube/anatase (SWCNT/anatase) composite thin film with a transmittance of over 70% in the visible-light region was fabricated on a quartz glass substrate by heat treating a precursor film at 500 degrees C in air. The precursor film was formed by spin coating a mixed solution of the titania molecular precursor and well-dispersed SWCNTs (0.075 mass%) in ethanol. The anatase crystals and Ti3+ ions in the composite thin films were determined by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The effect of the heating process on the SWCNTs was analyzed using Raman spectroscopy. The composite film showed an even surface with a scratch resistance of 4H pencil hardness, as observed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The electrical resistivity and optical bandgap energy of the composite thin film with a thickness of 100 nm were 6.6 x 10(-2) ohm cm and 3.4 eV, respectively, when the SWCNT content in the composite thin film was 2.9 mass%. An anodic photocurrent density of 4.2 mu A cm(-2) was observed under ultraviolet light irradiation (16 mW cm(-2) at 365 nm) onto the composite thin film, thus showing excellent properties as a photoelectrode without conductive substrates.

Automated summary

A composite thin film of single-walled carbon nanotube/anatase was fabricated with high transmittance and scratch resistance. The film showed promising electrical and optical properties, making it suitable for applications as a photoelectrode without the need for a conductive substrate.