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Search results for: PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
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The geometry of free-standing titania nanotubes as a critical factor controlling their optical and photoelectrochemical performance
PublicationTitanium dioxide nanotubes are regarded as one of the most important functional materials and due to their unique electronic properties, chemical stability and photocorrosion resistance, they find applications in, for example, highly efficient photocatalysis or perovskite solar cells. Nevertheless, modification of TiO2 nanotubes is required to overcome their main drawback, i.e. large energy bandgap (>3.2 eV) limiting their ability...
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Materials for energy storage and conversion devices 2022/2023
e-Learning CoursesElectrodes: Metals as electrodes in aqueous and non-aqueous systems, metal nanoparticles. Collectors current. 3D, 2D, 1 D carbons, carbon nanomaterials. Organic semiconductors "Synthetic metals" - p-type, n-type. Inorganic semiconductors: oxides, selenides, sulfides, others. Intercalated electrodes. Mixed conductors (MIEC). Photo-active semiconductor materials. Electrolytes. Water electrolytes in commercial products. Electroactive...
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Insightful studies of AuCu nanostructures deposited on Ti platform: Effect of rapid thermal annealing on photoelectrochemical activity supported by synchrotron radiation studies
PublicationIn this work, we present the influence of annealing atmospheres during rapid thermal annealing (40◦C/s) on nanostructured Ti platforms modified by 10 nm layer of AuCu alloy obtained via magnetron sputtering. The AuCu/Ti platform annealed under hydrogen atmosphere exhibits the best photoelectrochemical activity under visible light, i.e. 27 times higher photocurrent than for pure Ti dimpled platform, and the lowest reflectance with minimum...
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Advances in Functional Materials Summer School 2023
e-Learning CoursesOur summer school on “Advances in Functional Materials” aims to bring together young scientists (Ph.D. and MSc students) with renowned specialists in materials engineering. Experts from academia, research units, and industry will deliver lectures, tutorials, and laboratory classes so that you can practice what you have learned. We divided the program into five main thematic topics: 1) Superconducting materials, 2) Additive manufacturing, 3)...
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Chemical investigations of the MoO3 doped by K films deposited FTO
Open Research DataMoO3 thin films were synthesized via thermal annealing of thin, metallic Mo films deposited onto the FTO substrate using a magnetron sputtering system. The influence of photointercalation of alkali metal cation (K+) into the MoO3 structure on the photoelectrochemical properties of the molybdenum trioxide films was investigated. The chemical characterisation...
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The new method of ZnIn2S4 synthesis on the titania nanotubes substrate with enhanced stability and photoelectrochemical performance
PublicationThe new method of ZnIn2S4 synthesis on the titania nanotubes substrate with enhanced stability and photoelectrochemical performance
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Photoinduced K+ Intercalation into MoO3/FTO Photoanode—the Impact on the Photoelectrochemical Performance
PublicationIn this work, thin layers of MoO3 were tested as potential photoanodes for water splitting. The influence of photointercalation of alkali metal cation (K+) into the MoO3 structure on the photoelectrochemical properties of the molybdenum trioxide films was investigated for the first time. MoO3 thin films were synthesized via thermal annealing of thin, metallic Mo films deposited onto the FTO substrate using a magnetron sputtering...
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Towards spectroscopic monitoring of photoelectrodes: In-situ Raman photoelectrochemistry of a TiO2/prussian blue photoanode
PublicationHere, novel in-situ Raman photoelectrochemical measurements are performed. The obtained results have proved that it is possible to track the progress of a photoelectrochemical reaction that takes place on a semiconducting electrode using the spectroscopic method. As an exemplary system, the Ti/TiO2/Prussian blue electrode is investigated. Since TiO2 is an n-type semiconductor, it cannot act as an efficient anode in dark conditions....
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Investigating BiMeVOx compounds as potential photoelectrochemical and electrochemical materials for renewable hydrogen production
PublicationIn this study, BiMeVOx compounds (where Me: Co, Mo, Ce, Zr) were synthesized and characterized as potential photoelectrochemical materials for solar water splitting, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The analysis confirmed the successful formation of phase BiMeVOx compounds with the desired crystal structure. Among the tested materials, BiCoVOx(800) showed the highest photocurrent density...
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The optimization of CuxO microwires synthesis for improvement in photoelectrochemical performance
PublicationOne of the most important challenges in the fabrication of CuxO microstructures via the electrochemical method is formation of long, regular and well-packed microwires with good adhesion on the Cu substrate and to achieve better photoelectrochemical properties, which can be potentially applied in solar-driven water splitting and CO2 conversion to light hydrocarbons. In this paper, Cu2O photoelectrode has been fabricated by direct...
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Scaling Up the Process of Titanium Dioxide Nanotube Synthesis and Its Effect on Photoelectrochemical Properties
PublicationIn this work, for the first time, the influence of scaling up the process of titanium dioxide nanotube (TiO2NT) synthesis on the photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes is presented. Titanium dioxide nanotubes were obtained on substrates of various sizes: 2 × 2, 4 × 4, 5 × 5, 6 × 6, and 8 × 8 cm2. The electrode material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy as well as Raman and UV–vis spectroscopy in order...
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Influence of alkali metal cations on the photoactivity of crystalline and exfoliated amorphous WO3 – photointercalation phenomenon
PublicationIn order to investigate the effect of photointercalation on photoelectrochemical properties, two types of WO3-based photoanodes, bulk and exfoliated have been prepared and investigated. An aqueous exfoliation method is introduced for the simple fabrication of amorphous and hydrated WO3 nanomaterial using commercial bulk WO3 precursor. The comparison of obtained material with bulk WO3 was performed using Raman, UV–vis, and XPS as...
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A new simple approach to prepare rare-earth metals-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays photoactive under visible light: Surface properties and mechanism investigation
PublicationApplication of Ti90RE10 alloys (RE = Ho, Er, Nd, Y, Ce, Tm) as a working electrode, instead of Ti pure foil in anodic oxidation in a fluoride-based electrolyte, resulted in formation of well-ordered nanotubes made of TiO2 and RE2O3 mixture, which could be efficiently used for pollutant removal from water and air phase upon UV and visible irradiation and easily separable from the reaction mixture to recycle. The as-prepared NTs...
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Ordered TiO2 nanotubes with improved photoactivity through self-organizing anodization with the addition of an ionic liquid: effects of the preparation conditions
PublicationModifying the geometric and surface parameters of oriented TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) is beneficial to the utilization of solar energy for chemical reactions, and this performance may be further improved. Thus, the effects of adding an ionic liquid (IL), 1-butylpiridinium chloride [BPy][Cl], and the effects of the water content and preparation conditions on the surface morphological, physicochemical, photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical...
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The influence of polarization of titania nanotubes modified by a hybrid system made of a conducting polymer PEDOT and Prussian Blue redox network on the Raman spectroscopy response and photoelectrochemical properties
PublicationIn this work we show the impact of applied potential on network vibrations and photoelectrochemical properties of a composite material containing hydrogenated titania nanotubes and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) with iron hexacyanoferrate (H-TiO2/pEDOT:Fehcf) acting as a redox centre. For this purpose, Raman spectroscopy measurements under the working electrode (WE) polarization were carried out, allowing investigation of changes...
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Facile preparation of extremely photoactive boron-doped TiO2 nanotubes arrays
PublicationDoping of TiO2 nanotube arrays with boron was realized via electrochemical treatment of as-anodized titania immersed in electrolyte containing boric acid. The photoactivity of doped and pure titania was examined by means of photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic response under UV-vis irradiation. The results showed that photocurrent density of B-TNTs is remarkably higher (7.5 times) than density of pure TiO2 nanotube arrays. Furthermore,...
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Temperature-controlled nanomosaics of AuCu bimetallic structure towards smart light management
PublicationGold–copper nanostructures are promising in solar-driven processes because of their optical, photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties, especially those which result from the synergy between the two metals. Increasing interest in their internal structure, such as the composition or distribution of the Au and Cu as well as the size and shape of the nanoparticles, have developed to define their physicochemical properties. In...
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Higher harmonics of the intensity modulated Photocurrent/Photovoltage spectroscopy response - a tool for studying photoelectrochemical nonlinearities
PublicationIn this work, a higher harmonic analysis (HHA) of the intensity modulated photocurrent/photovoltage (IMPS/IMVS) spectroscopy data is proposed as a potent tool for studying nonlinear phenomena in photoelectrochemical and photovoltaic systems. Analytical solutions of kinetic equations were constructed for cases of single and double resonance accounting for various sources of higher harmonics. These sources correspond to the physical...
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Fabrication and photoactivity of organic-inorganic systems based on titania nanotubes and PEDOT containing redox centres formed by different Prussian Blue analogues
PublicationHerein, the heterojunction composed of an inorganic substrate: ordered hydrogenated titania nanotubes (H-TiO2NTs) and a deposited organic film: poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is reported. The conducting polymer is modified with different transition metal haxacyanoferrates (Mehcf), wherein as metal: copper, iron, cobalt and nickel are introduced. The presence of various metal centres provides characteristic redox activity...
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Photocatalytic Decomposition of Air Pollutants using Electrodeposited Photocatalysts on Stainless Steel
PublicationThe aim of research was to develop an immobilization method for photocatalysts, which is an alternative to the sol-gel or dip coating methods and can be simply scaled up for technical applications. The investigated photocatalyst was TiO2, which was electrochemically deposited onto a cathode made of stainless steel. This deposited film was photocatalytically active. In order to enhance the photoactivity of the TiO2 film, commercially...
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The bismuth vanadate thin layers modified by cobalt hexacyanocobaltate as visible-light active photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water oxidation
PublicationBismuth vanadate thin films deposited using the pulsed laser deposition technique were modified using cobalt hexacyanocobaltate (Cohcc). The 2-step method of Cohcc nanocubes preparation was applied: i) metallic cobalt deposition and ii) cobalt electrooxidation in Co(CN)63− containing electrolyte. The presence of CN stretching vibrations was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The energy band gap was equal to 2.5 eV and was estimated...
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Laser induced formation of copper species over TiO2 nanotubes towards enhanced water splitting performance
PublicationWe proposed fast and scalable route where the ordered TiO2 nanotubes coated with thin copper layers were annealed by the laser beam of 355 nm wavelength at different fluencies in the range of 15–120 mJ/cm2. As a result, copper species are integrated with the titania substrate and the formed material exhibits unique optical absorption bands in the visible range. Moreover, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis reveals the formation...
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Optical and photoelectrochemical characterization of pulsed laser deposited Bi4V2O11, BICUVOX, and BIZNVOX
PublicationThin layers of three compounds from the BIMEVOX family (Bi4V2O11, Bi2V0.9Cu0.1O5.35, and Bi2V0.9Zn0.1O5.35) were prepared via pulsed laser deposition technique on quartz, silicon, and platinum foil and tested as photoanodes for water photooxidation. The film formation, as well as the crystallization upon heating, was characterized using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The optical properties were investigated using spectroscopic...
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Visible light activity of pulsed layer deposited BiVO4/MnO2 films decorated with gold nanoparticles: The evidence for hydroxyl radicals formation
PublicationThin films containing BiVO4 and MnO2 deposited on FTO and modified by Au nanoparticles were studied towards their photoelectrochemical and photocatalytical activities in an aqueous electrolyte. Electrodes were prepared by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The surfactant-free ablation process was used for preparation of the gold nanoparticles (GNP) water suspension. Obtained layers of varied thicknesses (27–115 nm) were...
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Anodic titania nanotubes decorated with gold nanoparticles produced by laser-induced dewetting of thin metallic films
PublicationHerein, we combine titania layers with gold species in a laser-supported process and report a substantial change of properties of the resulting heterostructures depending on the major processing parameters. Electrodes were fabricated via an anodisation process complemented with calcination to ensure a crystalline phase, and followed by magnetron sputtering of metallic films. The obtained TiO2 nanotubes with deposited thin (5, 10...
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Influence of Annealing Atmospheres on Photoelectrochemical Activity of TiO2 Nanotubes Modified with AuCu Nanoparticles
PublicationIn this article, we studied the annealing process of AuCu layers deposited on TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) conducted in various atmospheres such as air, vacuum, argon, and hydrogen in order to obtain materials active in both visible and UV–vis ranges. The material fabrication route covers the electrochemical anodization of a Ti plate, followed by thin AuCu film magnetron sputtering and further thermal treatment. Scanning electron microscopy...
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Laser-Induced Graphitization of Polydopamine on Titania Nanotubes
PublicationSince the discovery of laser-induced graphite/graphene, there has been a notable surge of scientific interest in advancing diverse methodologies for their synthesis and applications. This study focuses on the utilization of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser to achieve graphitization of polydopamine (PDA) deposited on the surface of titania nanotubes. The partial graphitization is corroborated through Raman and XPS spectroscopies and supported...
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Transparent TiO2 nanotubes supporting silver sulfide for photoelectrochemical water splitting
PublicationDifferences between photoelectrochemical and electrochemical activity were thoroughly investigated for the oxygen evolution reaction mediated by Ag2S deposited on two types of ordered titania substrates. Titanium dioxide nanotubes were fabricated by anodization of magnetron sputtered Ti films on ITO-coated glass substrates or directly from Ti foil. Further, Ag2S deposition on the nanotubes was carried out using successive ionic...
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Titania nanotubes modified by a pyrolyzed metal-organic framework with zero valent iron centers as a photoanode with enhanced photoelectrochemical, photocatalytical activity and high capacitance
PublicationThe paper discusses the synthesis, photoelectrochemical and electrochemical behaviour of titania nanotube arrays modified by a pyrolyzed metal-organic framework (MOF). A poly(3,4–ethylenedioxyphene) (PEDOT) matrix with an embedded inorganic network of iron hexacyanoferrate (BP) covering TiO2 nanotubes (TNT) is used as a MOF for the further sintering procedure, resulting in a novel, thin film of carbonaceous wrap supported Fe catalytic...
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Enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance of iodine-doped titania nanotube arrays
PublicationThe paper discusses the synthesis and performance of iodine doped titania nanotube arrays exhibited under irradiation. The doping procedure was performed as an additional, electrochemical process carried out after formation of nanotube arrays via anodization of Ti substrate. The optical and structural properties were characterized using Raman, UV-vis, photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface morphology...
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Scalable Route toward Superior Photoresponse of UV-Laser-Treated TiO2 Nanotubes
PublicationTitanium dioxide nanotubes gain considerable attention as a photoactive material due to chemical stability, photocorrosion resistance, or lowcost manufacturing method. This work presents scalable pulsed laser modification of TiO2 nanotubes resulting in enhanced photoactivity in a system equipped with a motorized table, which allows for modifications of both precisely selected and any-large sample area. Images obtained from scanning...
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Pulsed Laser Deposition of Bismuth Vanadate Thin Films—The Effect of Oxygen Pressure on the Morphology, Composition, and Photoelectrochemical Performance
PublicationThin layers of bismuth vanadate were deposited using the pulsed laser deposition technique on commercially available FTO (fluorine-doped tin oxide) substrates. Films were sputtered from a sintered, monoclinic BiVO4 pellet, acting as the target, under various oxygen pressures (from 0.1 to 2 mbar), while the laser beam was perpendicular to the target surface and parallel to the FTO substrate. The oxygen pressure strongly affects...
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Katedra Chemii Nieorganicznej
Research Teams* Opracowanie nowych metod syntezy nieorganicznej, odkrycie nowych typów reaktywności oraz katalizatorów użytecznych w ważnych procesach chemicznych. Badania koncentrują się wokół chemii kompleksów metali przejściowych z ligandami P-donorowymi oraz chemii pierwiastków grup głównych ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem fosforu i boru – aktualne kierunki badań: -reaktywne związki niskowalencyjnego fosforu – podobnie jak kompleksy karbenowe...
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Katedra Chemii i Technologii Materiałów Funkcjonalnych
Research Teams* Zespół Chemicznych Źródeł Prądu Zainteresowania badawcze zespołu koncentrują się głównie na zjawiskach na granicy faz pomiędzy elektrodą a elektrolitem oraz zjawiskach fazowych dotyczących transportu i przeniesienia ładunku. Zrozumienie tych przemian fizykochemicznych ma umożliwić wybór/zaprojektowanie odpowiednich materiałów - przewodników prądu, skutecznych w urządzeniach do magazynowaniu i konwersji energii elektrycznej (UMKE)....