Comprehensive evaluation of photoelectrochemical performance dependence on geometric features of ZnO nanorod electrodes.

The impact of geometric features, light absorption spectra, and electrochemical active surface area on photoelectrochemical properties was investigated in this work. Nanoforests of ZnO nanorods with rationally controlled morphologies were grown on ITO substrates by the hydrothermal method and utilized as a model for this purpose. The size of the nanorods was systematically adjusted by varying the concentration of polyethyleneimine as a cation surfactant in the growth solution.

Boosting the Photoelectrochemical Performance of Au/ZnO Nanorods by Co-Occurring Gradient Doping and Surface Plasmon Modification.

Band bending modification of metal/semiconductor hybrid nanostructures requires low-cost and effective designs in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. To this end, it is evinced that gradient doping of Au nanoparticles (NPs) inwards the ZnO nanorods (NRs) through thermal treatment facilitated faster transport of the photo-induced charge carriers. Systematic PEC measurements show that the resulting gradient Au-doped ZnO NRs yielded a photocurrent density of 0.

Heterojunction-based photocatalytic nitrogen fixation: principles and current progress.

Nitrogen fixation is considered one of the grand challenges of the 21st century for achieving the ultimate vision of a green and sustainable future. It is crucial to develop and design sustainable nitrogen fixation techniques with minimal environmental impact as an alternative to the energy-cost intensive Haber-Bosch process. Heterojunction-based photocatalysis has recently emerged as a viable solution for the various environmental and energy issues, including nitrogen fixation.