AbstractThe importance of the synthesis conditions on the structural and photocatalytic properties of tantalum oxide nitride was investigated by comparing two variants of phase-pure β-TaON obtained from application of two different synthesis routes, leading to one unstrained and one heavily anisotropically microstrained β-TaON as shown by XRD-based Rietveld refinement. HRTEM images reveal the origin of the strain to be lattice defects such as stacking faults. The strained β-TaON was found to be the clearly less active semiconductor in photochemical and photoelectrochemical water oxidation. The lattice defects are assumed to act as charge carrier traps hindering the photo-generated holes to be displaced to the reaction sites at the surface.
A cobalt oxide catalyst prepared by a flame-assisted deposition method on the surface of FTO and hematite for electrochemical and photoelectrochemical water oxidation, respectively.
The attractive photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting for hydrogen fuels always desires new semiconductors which provide stronger visible light absorption with suitable band positions. Sn(II) complex oxides are expected to offer...
The role of synthesis conditions for structural defects and lattice strain in β-TaON and their effect on photo- and photoelectrocatalysis
