Hybrid Photoelectrocatalytic TiO<sub>2</sub>-Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/Co(OH)<sub>2</sub> Materials Prepared from Bio-Based Surfactants for Water Splitting
Fanny Duquet,
Valérie Flaud,
Christina Villeneuve-Faure,
Matthieu Rivallin,
Florence Rouessac,
Stéphanie Roualdès
Affiliations
Fanny Duquet
Institut Européen des Membranes (IEM), UMR 5635, University of Montpellier, ENSCM, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier, France
Valérie Flaud
Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier (ICGM), UMR 5253, University of Montpellier, ENSCM, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier, France
Christina Villeneuve-Faure
LAPLACE (Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion d’Energie), Université de Toulouse, UPS, CNRS, INPT, 31062 Toulouse, France
Matthieu Rivallin
Institut Européen des Membranes (IEM), UMR 5635, University of Montpellier, ENSCM, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier, France
Florence Rouessac
Institut Européen des Membranes (IEM), UMR 5635, University of Montpellier, ENSCM, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier, France
Stéphanie Roualdès
Institut Européen des Membranes (IEM), UMR 5635, University of Montpellier, ENSCM, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier, France
The development of new photoanode materials for hydrogen production and water treatment is in full progress. In this context, hybrid TiO2-Co3O4/Co(OH)2 photoanodes prepared using the sol–gel method using biosurfactants are currently being developed by our group. The combination of TiO2 with a cobalt-based compound significantly enhances the visible absorption and electrochemical performance of thin films, which is mainly due to an increase in the specific surface area and a decrease in the charge transfer resistance on the surface of the thin films. The formation of these composites allows for a 30-fold increase in the current density when compared to cobalt-free materials, with the best TiO2-CoN0.5 sample achieving a current of 1.570 mA.cm−2 and a theoretical H2 production rate of 0.3 µmol.min−1.cm−2 under xenon illumination.
