Enhanced photoelectrochemical response of 1D TiO2 by atmospheric pressure plasma surface modification

In this paper we demonstrate the use of atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) to functionalize the surface of hydrothermally synthesized vertically aligned TiO2 nanorods (TNRs) for photo electrochemical (PEC) application. The TNRs functionalized with the atmospheric pressure He-plasma showed relatively higher crystallinity, improved light absorption, and change in the morphology with additional surface area, leading to an enhanced photocurrent density than that of the untreated. Achieving the PEC performance on par with the best in the literature, this APPJ treatment is shown to be a promising technique to obtain better functionality with TNR kind of materials and many other nano-micro systems for various applications such as PEC hydrogen generation. (C) 2021 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the use of atmospheric pressure plasma jet for functionalizing TiO2 nanorods, leading to improved crystallinity, light absorption, and surface area, resulting in enhanced photocurrent density. The APPJ treatment shows promise for achieving better functionality in PEC applications.