Photoelectrochemical properties of plasma-induced nanostructured tungsten oxide

Helium (He)-induced nanostructured tungsten sheets were synthesized by He plasma irradiation under different plasma exposure durations. After calcination, nanostructured tungsten oxide samples were used as photoelectrodes to test photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. The results showed that nanostructured WO3 photoanodes have higher PEC performance compared to the sample without nanostructures. The 15 min irradiated sample had the highest photocurrent density of 3.5 mA/cm(2) under the thermodynamic potential of water oxidation (1.23 V vs. RHE). It was found that the oxide layer thickness and exposed crystal facet have a significant impact on PEC performance. The plasma synthesis technique has proved to be an effective method for preparing nanostructured WO3 photoelectrodes.

Automated summary

Helium-induced nanostructured tungsten sheets were synthesized using He plasma irradiation, and the resulting nanostructured WO3 photoanodes exhibited higher photoelectrochemical performance. The thickness of the oxide layer and the exposed crystal facet were found to significantly impact the PEC performance.