Polarization-enhanced photoelectrochemical properties of BaTiO3/BaTiO3-x/CdS heterostructure nanocubes

With the aim of improving the photocatalytic activity for water splitting, novel core-shell-structured crystalline-BaTiO3/amorphous-BaTiO3-x/crystalline-CdS composite nanocubes are prepared by a facile two-step synthesis approach. Basic characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy are carried out on the as-prepared composite nanocubes in order to confirm the quality of their crystal structure, morphology and chemical components correspondingly. UV-Vis-NIR measurements of the as-prepared composite nanocubes validate the presence of extended visible-light absorbance due to oxygen-deficient BaTiO3-x. Photoelectrochemical tests are carried out on the as-prepared nanocomposite films that are coated directly on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates. The as-prepared composite nanocubes show a photocurrent density of 100 mu A cm(-2) without electric field poling, whereas they show about 200 mu A cm(-2) with an electric field poling of 18.8 kV cm(-1). This study suggests that the photoelectrochemical performance is highest in our prepared BaTiO3/BaTiO3-x/CdS composite film compared to the pure BaTiO3, CdS and BaTiO3/BaTiO3-x films, and it may offer a new potential route for designing cost-effective, highly stable and efficient photocatalysts.

Automated summary

A novel core-shell-structured crystalline-BaTiO3/amorphous-BaTiO3-x/crystalline-CdS composite nanocubes were prepared with the aim of improving photocatalytic activity for water splitting. Basic characterization techniques confirmed the quality of their crystal structure, morphology, and chemical components, while UV-Vis-NIR measurements validated extended visible-light absorbance. Photoelectrochemical tests showed that the composite nanocubes exhibited higher performance compared to pure BaTiO3, CdS and BaTiO3/BaTiO3-x films, suggesting a new potential route for designing cost-effective, highly stable and efficient photocatalysts.