Fabrication of Photoelectrodes from LaTiO2N Particles for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

Methods of fabricating photoelectrodes from LaTiO2N particles on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glasses for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting were studied. Several sizes of LaTiO2N particles were synthesized by the nitridation of oxide precursors of varying particle size under ammonia flow. TiCl4 treatment, which binds particles both to each other and to substrates, was examined. Without TiCl4 treatment, photoelectrodes made from smaller LaTiO2N particles generated a higher photocurrent. On the other hand, photoelectrodes made from larger LaTiO2N particles generated a higher photocurrent with the treatment. The effect of electronic contact between particles on the PEC properties was examined.