2019/11/27 by Tilak Poudel, Baicheng Weng, Poudel, Tilak +8
Chemistry · Energy · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques #Applied Physics (physics.app-ph) #Bismuth #Catalysis #Chemical engineering #Chemistry #Doping #Electronic and Structural Properties of Oxides #FOS: Physical sciences #Materials science #Metallurgy #Multiferroics and related materials #Nanotechnology #Optoelectronics #Oxide #Photocatalysis #Photocurrent #Sputtering #Stoichiometry #Thin film #physics.app-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1911.12188
published in arXiv (Cornell University) (Cornell University)
arxiv created 2019/11/27 · openalex publication_date 2019/11/27 · arxiv updated 2019/11/28 · openalex created_date 2019/12/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Bismuth based ternary oxide photocatalysts are of considerable interest in photoelectrochemical water splitting. Yet these oxides are highly stable in different environment, their relative inertness limits the available synthesis routes to obtain desired stoichiometry on the final product. This report describes a method to prepare barium bismuth niobate (specifically, Ba2(BiNb)O6 and Ba2Bi1.4Nb0.6 O6) target by sintering a mixture of individual oxides and successfully fabricate desired barium bismuth niobate thin film on TCO substrate. The surface morphology, physical, and chemical properties of thin film were systematically investigated. Compositional uniformity was obtained by sputtering in oxygen argon plasma environment and higher photocatalytic activities were observed after subsequent surface treatments. Sodium fluoride surface treatment further enhanced the photocurrent density and improved electrode stability against corrosion. This work further suggests a viable approach to improve the PEC performance of sputtered barium bismuth niobate by modulating their fundamental energy states.