Boron-Modified Anodization of Preferentially Oriented TiO2 Nanotubes for Photoelectrochemical Applications
Source abstract
Abstract
This study investigates the synthesis and characterization of boron-modified nanotubular titania (NTO) arrays fabricated via a single-step anodizing process with varying concentrations of boric acid (BA). Following anodization, a reductive heat treatment was applied to facilitate the crystallization of the anatase phase in the boron-modified NTO. The effect of the BA concentration on the structural, morphological, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of the NTOs was systematically explored through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), luminescence, and UV-Vis spectrometry. The introduction of boron during anodization facilitated the formation of sub-bandgap states, thereby enhancing the light absorption and electron mobility. This study revealed the optimal BA concentration that yielded a 3.3-fold enhancement of the PEC performance, attributed to a reduction in the bandgap energy. Notably, the highest incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) was observed for NTO samples anodized at a 0.10 M BA concentration. These findings underscore the promise of boron-modified NTOs for advanced photocatalytic applications, particularly in solar-driven water-splitting processes.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells · Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques · Analytical Chemistry and Sensors
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 620002 Yekaterinburg, Russia
Department of Chemical Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel
Institute of Solid State Chemistry Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 620137 Yekaterinburg, Russia
Funding
Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation
References (100+)
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