Surfactant-assisted microwave processing of ZnO particles: a simple way for designing the surface-to-bulk defect ratio and improving photo(electro)catalytic properties
Authors
Marković, Smilja
Stojković Simatović, Ivana

Ahmetović, Sanita
Veselinović, Ljiljana

Stojadinović, Stevan

Rac, Vladislav

Škapin, Srečo Davor

Bajuk Bogdanović, Danica

Janković Častvan, Ivona

Uskoković, Dragan

Article (Published version)
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ZnO nanopowders were produced using microwave processing of a precipitate and applied as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Two different surfactants, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the cationic and Pluronic F127 as the non-ionic one, were employed to in situ adjust the surface-to-bulk defect ratio in the ZnO crystal structure and further to modify the photo(electro)catalytic activity of the ZnO photoanode. The crystal structure, morphological, textural, optical and photo(electro)catalytic properties of ZnO particles were studied in detail to explain the profound effects of the surfactants on the photoanode activity. The ZnO/CTAB photoanode displayed the highest photocurrent density of 27 mA g−1, compared to ZnO (10.4 mA g−1) and ZnO/F127 photoanodes (20 mA g−1) at 1.5 V vs. SCE in 0.1 M Na2SO4 under visible illumination of 90 mW cm−2. A significant shift of the overpotential toward lower values was also observed when photoanodes were illuminated. The high...est shift of the overpotential, from 1.296 to 0.248 V vs. SCE, was recorded when the ZnO/CTAB photanode was illuminated. The ZnO/CTAB photoanode provides efficient charge transfer across the electrode/electrolyte interface, with a longer lifetime of photogenerated electron–hole pairs and reduced possibility of charge recombination. The photoconversion efficiency was improved from 1.4% for ZnO and 0.9% for ZnO/F127 to 4.2% for ZnO/CTAB at 0.510 mV. A simple procedure for the synthesis of ZnO particles with improved photo(electro)catalytic properties was established and it was found that even a small amount of CTAB used during processing of ZnO increases the surface-to-bulk defect ratio. Optimization of the surface-to-bulk defect ratio in ZnO materials enables increase of the absorption capacity for visible light, rendering of the recombination rate of the photogenerated pair, as well as increase of both the photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency.
Keywords:
ZnO nanopowders / microwave processing / photoanodes / photocatalytic propertiesSource:
RSC Advances, 2019, 9, 30, 17165-17178Publisher:
- Royal Society of Chemistry
Funding / projects:
DOI: 10.1039/C9RA02553G
ISSN: 2046-2069
WoS: 000471912700025
Scopus: 2-s2.0-85067467088
URI
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/ra/c9ra02553ghttps://dais.sanu.ac.rs/123456789/6272
Institution/Community
Институт техничких наука САНУ / Institute of Technical Sciences of SASATY - JOUR AU - Marković, Smilja AU - Stojković Simatović, Ivana AU - Ahmetović, Sanita AU - Veselinović, Ljiljana AU - Stojadinović, Stevan AU - Rac, Vladislav AU - Škapin, Srečo Davor AU - Bajuk Bogdanović, Danica AU - Janković Častvan, Ivona AU - Uskoković, Dragan PY - 2019 UR - https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/ra/c9ra02553g UR - https://dais.sanu.ac.rs/123456789/6272 AB - ZnO nanopowders were produced using microwave processing of a precipitate and applied as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Two different surfactants, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the cationic and Pluronic F127 as the non-ionic one, were employed to in situ adjust the surface-to-bulk defect ratio in the ZnO crystal structure and further to modify the photo(electro)catalytic activity of the ZnO photoanode. The crystal structure, morphological, textural, optical and photo(electro)catalytic properties of ZnO particles were studied in detail to explain the profound effects of the surfactants on the photoanode activity. The ZnO/CTAB photoanode displayed the highest photocurrent density of 27 mA g−1, compared to ZnO (10.4 mA g−1) and ZnO/F127 photoanodes (20 mA g−1) at 1.5 V vs. SCE in 0.1 M Na2SO4 under visible illumination of 90 mW cm−2. A significant shift of the overpotential toward lower values was also observed when photoanodes were illuminated. The highest shift of the overpotential, from 1.296 to 0.248 V vs. SCE, was recorded when the ZnO/CTAB photanode was illuminated. The ZnO/CTAB photoanode provides efficient charge transfer across the electrode/electrolyte interface, with a longer lifetime of photogenerated electron–hole pairs and reduced possibility of charge recombination. The photoconversion efficiency was improved from 1.4% for ZnO and 0.9% for ZnO/F127 to 4.2% for ZnO/CTAB at 0.510 mV. A simple procedure for the synthesis of ZnO particles with improved photo(electro)catalytic properties was established and it was found that even a small amount of CTAB used during processing of ZnO increases the surface-to-bulk defect ratio. Optimization of the surface-to-bulk defect ratio in ZnO materials enables increase of the absorption capacity for visible light, rendering of the recombination rate of the photogenerated pair, as well as increase of both the photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency. PB - Royal Society of Chemistry T2 - RSC Advances T1 - Surfactant-assisted microwave processing of ZnO particles: a simple way for designing the surface-to-bulk defect ratio and improving photo(electro)catalytic properties SP - 17165 EP - 17178 VL - 9 IS - 30 DO - 10.1039/C9RA02553G UR - https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_dais_6272 ER -
@article{ author = "Marković, Smilja and Stojković Simatović, Ivana and Ahmetović, Sanita and Veselinović, Ljiljana and Stojadinović, Stevan and Rac, Vladislav and Škapin, Srečo Davor and Bajuk Bogdanović, Danica and Janković Častvan, Ivona and Uskoković, Dragan", year = "2019", abstract = "ZnO nanopowders were produced using microwave processing of a precipitate and applied as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Two different surfactants, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the cationic and Pluronic F127 as the non-ionic one, were employed to in situ adjust the surface-to-bulk defect ratio in the ZnO crystal structure and further to modify the photo(electro)catalytic activity of the ZnO photoanode. The crystal structure, morphological, textural, optical and photo(electro)catalytic properties of ZnO particles were studied in detail to explain the profound effects of the surfactants on the photoanode activity. The ZnO/CTAB photoanode displayed the highest photocurrent density of 27 mA g−1, compared to ZnO (10.4 mA g−1) and ZnO/F127 photoanodes (20 mA g−1) at 1.5 V vs. SCE in 0.1 M Na2SO4 under visible illumination of 90 mW cm−2. A significant shift of the overpotential toward lower values was also observed when photoanodes were illuminated. The highest shift of the overpotential, from 1.296 to 0.248 V vs. SCE, was recorded when the ZnO/CTAB photanode was illuminated. The ZnO/CTAB photoanode provides efficient charge transfer across the electrode/electrolyte interface, with a longer lifetime of photogenerated electron–hole pairs and reduced possibility of charge recombination. The photoconversion efficiency was improved from 1.4% for ZnO and 0.9% for ZnO/F127 to 4.2% for ZnO/CTAB at 0.510 mV. A simple procedure for the synthesis of ZnO particles with improved photo(electro)catalytic properties was established and it was found that even a small amount of CTAB used during processing of ZnO increases the surface-to-bulk defect ratio. Optimization of the surface-to-bulk defect ratio in ZnO materials enables increase of the absorption capacity for visible light, rendering of the recombination rate of the photogenerated pair, as well as increase of both the photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency.", publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry", journal = "RSC Advances", title = "Surfactant-assisted microwave processing of ZnO particles: a simple way for designing the surface-to-bulk defect ratio and improving photo(electro)catalytic properties", pages = "17165-17178", volume = "9", number = "30", doi = "10.1039/C9RA02553G", url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_dais_6272" }
Marković, S., Stojković Simatović, I., Ahmetović, S., Veselinović, L., Stojadinović, S., Rac, V., Škapin, S. D., Bajuk Bogdanović, D., Janković Častvan, I.,& Uskoković, D.. (2019). Surfactant-assisted microwave processing of ZnO particles: a simple way for designing the surface-to-bulk defect ratio and improving photo(electro)catalytic properties. in RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry., 9(30), 17165-17178. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9RA02553G https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_dais_6272
Marković S, Stojković Simatović I, Ahmetović S, Veselinović L, Stojadinović S, Rac V, Škapin SD, Bajuk Bogdanović D, Janković Častvan I, Uskoković D. Surfactant-assisted microwave processing of ZnO particles: a simple way for designing the surface-to-bulk defect ratio and improving photo(electro)catalytic properties. in RSC Advances. 2019;9(30):17165-17178. doi:10.1039/C9RA02553G https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_dais_6272 .
Marković, Smilja, Stojković Simatović, Ivana, Ahmetović, Sanita, Veselinović, Ljiljana, Stojadinović, Stevan, Rac, Vladislav, Škapin, Srečo Davor, Bajuk Bogdanović, Danica, Janković Častvan, Ivona, Uskoković, Dragan, "Surfactant-assisted microwave processing of ZnO particles: a simple way for designing the surface-to-bulk defect ratio and improving photo(electro)catalytic properties" in RSC Advances, 9, no. 30 (2019):17165-17178, https://doi.org/10.1039/C9RA02553G ., https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_dais_6272 .