Photoactive Anode of NiO/TiO2 Nanotube p-n Junctions and Application in Photoassisted Water Electrolysis
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Sun, Xiu Li; Chen, Ai Ping; He, Hong Bo; He, Tian Tian; Li, Chun Zhong
- Source
- Applied Mechanics and Materials; October 2015, Vol. 799 Issue: 1 p158-165, 8p
- Subject
- Language
- ISSN
- 16609336; 16627482
The photoactive anode was fabricated by hydrothermal method using the ZnO nanorod array as the template. NiO nanoflakes were assembled on the TiO2 tubular arrays to form p-n junction heterostrucutures on the Ni substrate. The water electrolysis was coupled with photocatalytic decomposition of water by irradiation of UV and UV-visible light on the modified Ni anode. Under UV and UV-visible light irradiation, the hydrogen evolution rates of the photoactive Ni anode modified by NiO/TiO2 nanotube composites are 2.92 ml/h·cm2 and 3.16 ml/h·cm2 respectively, increased by 5.4 % and 15 % in comparison with that of the Ni anode modified by TiO2 nanotube array and showed 152 % and 172 % improvement in comparison with that of sole Ni anode respectively.