Enhanced ferroelectric photoelectrochemical properties of polycrystalline BiFeO3 film by decorating with Ag nanoparticles

Polycrystalline BiFeO3 (BFO) films are fabricated on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrate as photoelectrode using sol-gel method. The microstructure, optical, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of the films are characterized and optimized by controlling the film thickness. Moreover, the PEC properties of the BFO films are dependent on ferroelectric polarization, which is mainly ascribed to the modulation of band structure at the BFO/electrolyte interface by the polarization. Further enhancement of PEC properties is obtained by decorating the samples with appropriate amounts of Ag nanoparticles, which is attributed to the reduced electron-hole recombination, and localized surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag nanoparticles. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.