Hexagonal structured Zn(1-x)CdxO solid solution thin films: Synthesis, characterization and applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting

Muhammad Adil Mansoor; Muhammad Ali Ehsan; Vickie McKee; Nay Ming Huang; Mehdi Ebadi; Zainudin Arifin; Wan Jeffrey Basirun; Muhammad Mazhar

doi:10.1039/c3ta10558j

Hexagonal structured Zn_(1-x)Cd_xO solid solution thin films: Synthesis, characterization and applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting

Muhammad Adil Mansoor, Muhammad Ali Ehsan, Vickie McKee, Nay Ming Huang, Mehdi Ebadi, Zainudin Arifin, Wan Jeffrey Basirun, Muhammad Mazhar^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hexagonal nanostructured zinc-cadmium oxide [Zn_(1-x)Cd _xO where x = 0.08, 0.15, and 0.17] solid solution thin films were deposited on FTO coated glass substrates from a common solution of zinc acetate and a newly developed polymeric cadmium precursor by an aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) technique. The polymeric cadmium precursor [Cd₃(TFA)₄(OAc)₂(THF)₄]_n (1) was synthesized by the reaction of cadmium(ii)acetate dihydrate with triflouroacetic acid in THF solution and characterized by melting point, microanalysis, FTIR, ¹H-NMR, thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) and single crystal X-ray analysis. The deposited thin films were characterized by powder XRD, SEM, EDX and UV-visible spectrophotometry, and tested for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting to hydrogen and oxygen. The effect of various thin film deposition parameters such as solvent type, temperature and electrolyte concentration on PEC properties has been investigated. The SEM analysis illustrated that the morphology of the films changes significantly with the change of the solvent. The films deposited from THF solution have a needle-like appearance scattered vertically on the FTO-coated glass substrate. An optical band gap of 2.40 eV has been estimated by UV-visible spectrophotometry. The current-voltage characterization proved that the nanocrystalline hexagonal structured Zn_0.83Cd_0.17O electrodes exhibit an n-type semiconducting behaviour and the photocurrent was found to be strongly dependent on the deposition solvent, deposition temperature and electrolyte concentration. The maximum photocurrent density of 0.23 mA cm^-2 at 0.55 V vs. Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl (∼1.23 V vs. RHE) was obtained for the Zn_0.83Cd_0.17O photoelectrode deposited at 500 °C for 45 min from 0.5 M solution of (1) and Zn(CH₃COO) ₂·2H₂O in THF.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5284-5292
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Materials Chemistry A
Volume	1
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ta10558j
State	Published - 7 May 2013
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Chemistry
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
General Materials Science

Access to Document

10.1039/c3ta10558j

Cite this

@article{80583463456b457a93cf9b8d23ef6cc5,

title = "Hexagonal structured Zn(1-x)CdxO solid solution thin films: Synthesis, characterization and applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting",

abstract = "Hexagonal nanostructured zinc-cadmium oxide [Zn(1-x)Cd xO where x = 0.08, 0.15, and 0.17] solid solution thin films were deposited on FTO coated glass substrates from a common solution of zinc acetate and a newly developed polymeric cadmium precursor by an aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) technique. The polymeric cadmium precursor [Cd3(TFA)4(OAc)2(THF)4]n (1) was synthesized by the reaction of cadmium(ii)acetate dihydrate with triflouroacetic acid in THF solution and characterized by melting point, microanalysis, FTIR, 1H-NMR, thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) and single crystal X-ray analysis. The deposited thin films were characterized by powder XRD, SEM, EDX and UV-visible spectrophotometry, and tested for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting to hydrogen and oxygen. The effect of various thin film deposition parameters such as solvent type, temperature and electrolyte concentration on PEC properties has been investigated. The SEM analysis illustrated that the morphology of the films changes significantly with the change of the solvent. The films deposited from THF solution have a needle-like appearance scattered vertically on the FTO-coated glass substrate. An optical band gap of 2.40 eV has been estimated by UV-visible spectrophotometry. The current-voltage characterization proved that the nanocrystalline hexagonal structured Zn0.83Cd0.17O electrodes exhibit an n-type semiconducting behaviour and the photocurrent was found to be strongly dependent on the deposition solvent, deposition temperature and electrolyte concentration. The maximum photocurrent density of 0.23 mA cm-2 at 0.55 V vs. Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl (∼1.23 V vs. RHE) was obtained for the Zn0.83Cd0.17O photoelectrode deposited at 500 °C for 45 min from 0.5 M solution of (1) and Zn(CH3COO) 2·2H2O in THF.",

author = "Mansoor, \{Muhammad Adil\} and Ehsan, \{Muhammad Ali\} and Vickie McKee and Huang, \{Nay Ming\} and Mehdi Ebadi and Zainudin Arifin and Basirun, \{Wan Jeffrey\} and Muhammad Mazhar",

year = "2013",

month = may,

day = "7",

doi = "10.1039/c3ta10558j",

language = "English",

volume = "1",

pages = "5284--5292",

journal = "Journal of Materials Chemistry A",

issn = "2050-7488",

publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry",

number = "17",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hexagonal structured Zn(1-x)CdxO solid solution thin films

T2 - Synthesis, characterization and applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting

AU - Mansoor, Muhammad Adil

AU - Ehsan, Muhammad Ali

AU - McKee, Vickie

AU - Huang, Nay Ming

AU - Ebadi, Mehdi

AU - Arifin, Zainudin

AU - Basirun, Wan Jeffrey

AU - Mazhar, Muhammad

PY - 2013/5/7

Y1 - 2013/5/7

N2 - Hexagonal nanostructured zinc-cadmium oxide [Zn(1-x)Cd xO where x = 0.08, 0.15, and 0.17] solid solution thin films were deposited on FTO coated glass substrates from a common solution of zinc acetate and a newly developed polymeric cadmium precursor by an aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) technique. The polymeric cadmium precursor [Cd3(TFA)4(OAc)2(THF)4]n (1) was synthesized by the reaction of cadmium(ii)acetate dihydrate with triflouroacetic acid in THF solution and characterized by melting point, microanalysis, FTIR, 1H-NMR, thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) and single crystal X-ray analysis. The deposited thin films were characterized by powder XRD, SEM, EDX and UV-visible spectrophotometry, and tested for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting to hydrogen and oxygen. The effect of various thin film deposition parameters such as solvent type, temperature and electrolyte concentration on PEC properties has been investigated. The SEM analysis illustrated that the morphology of the films changes significantly with the change of the solvent. The films deposited from THF solution have a needle-like appearance scattered vertically on the FTO-coated glass substrate. An optical band gap of 2.40 eV has been estimated by UV-visible spectrophotometry. The current-voltage characterization proved that the nanocrystalline hexagonal structured Zn0.83Cd0.17O electrodes exhibit an n-type semiconducting behaviour and the photocurrent was found to be strongly dependent on the deposition solvent, deposition temperature and electrolyte concentration. The maximum photocurrent density of 0.23 mA cm-2 at 0.55 V vs. Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl (∼1.23 V vs. RHE) was obtained for the Zn0.83Cd0.17O photoelectrode deposited at 500 °C for 45 min from 0.5 M solution of (1) and Zn(CH3COO) 2·2H2O in THF.

AB - Hexagonal nanostructured zinc-cadmium oxide [Zn(1-x)Cd xO where x = 0.08, 0.15, and 0.17] solid solution thin films were deposited on FTO coated glass substrates from a common solution of zinc acetate and a newly developed polymeric cadmium precursor by an aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) technique. The polymeric cadmium precursor [Cd3(TFA)4(OAc)2(THF)4]n (1) was synthesized by the reaction of cadmium(ii)acetate dihydrate with triflouroacetic acid in THF solution and characterized by melting point, microanalysis, FTIR, 1H-NMR, thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) and single crystal X-ray analysis. The deposited thin films were characterized by powder XRD, SEM, EDX and UV-visible spectrophotometry, and tested for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting to hydrogen and oxygen. The effect of various thin film deposition parameters such as solvent type, temperature and electrolyte concentration on PEC properties has been investigated. The SEM analysis illustrated that the morphology of the films changes significantly with the change of the solvent. The films deposited from THF solution have a needle-like appearance scattered vertically on the FTO-coated glass substrate. An optical band gap of 2.40 eV has been estimated by UV-visible spectrophotometry. The current-voltage characterization proved that the nanocrystalline hexagonal structured Zn0.83Cd0.17O electrodes exhibit an n-type semiconducting behaviour and the photocurrent was found to be strongly dependent on the deposition solvent, deposition temperature and electrolyte concentration. The maximum photocurrent density of 0.23 mA cm-2 at 0.55 V vs. Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl (∼1.23 V vs. RHE) was obtained for the Zn0.83Cd0.17O photoelectrode deposited at 500 °C for 45 min from 0.5 M solution of (1) and Zn(CH3COO) 2·2H2O in THF.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84875862906

U2 - 10.1039/c3ta10558j

DO - 10.1039/c3ta10558j

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84875862906

SN - 2050-7488

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