PhotoelectrochemBiceahl aviouorf the Titanium Dioxide Thin Film Electrodes Prepared with Spray-pyrolysis

Abstract

The characteristics of the titanium dioxide (Ti02) thin, transparent electrodes prepared with spray-pyrolysis were studied. Titanium-oxi-acetylacetonate_ was employed as, starting material suspended in ethanol. The thickness of TiO2 films thus prepared was *proportional to the amount of the sprayed solution, and was found to be ca.200 nm when 100 cm3. of solution was sprayed. X-ray diffraction studies and SEM observations showed that the films consist of polycrystalline anatase, and the size of the grains was 20-50 nm. MottSchottky plots showed that the doner density of these electrodes was 1017-1018 cm-3 and the flat band potential was -0.2--O.4 V vs. SCE. The quantum efficiency of the photocurrent was estimated to be 40-60%. These values are comparable well with those of the TiO2 electrode prepared with the other methods, e. q. reactive spattering and heat oxidation of titanium. The spray-pyrolysis method was found to be simple, cheap, but sufficiently feasible for preparing TiO2 thin film photoelectrode.