Nanomaterials (Dec 2024)

Charge Transfer Mechanism in Type II WO<sub>3</sub>/Cu<sub>2</sub>O Heterostructure

  • Anna A. Murashkina,
  • Aida V. Rudakova,
  • Tair V. Bakiev,
  • Alexei V. Emeline,
  • Detlef W. Bahnemann

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14242057
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 24
p. 2057

Abstract

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In this study, we explore the charge transfer mechanism between WO3 and Cu2O in heterostructured WO3/Cu2O electrodes and in a WO3||Cu2O tandem photoelectrochemical cell. The physical–chemical characterizations of the individual WO3 and Cu2O electrodes and the heterostructured WO3/Cu2O electrode by XRD, XPS, and SEM methods confirm the successful formation of the target systems. The results of photoelectrochemical studies infer that in both the heterostructured WO3/Cu2O electrode and WO3||Cu2O tandem photoelectrochemical cell, the major mechanism of charge transfer between WO3 and Cu2O is a realization of the Z-scheme.

Keywords