Enhanced solar water splitting of electron beam irradiated titaniaphotoanode by electrostatic spray deposition

Surface modifications are often made to titania films to improve its photocatalytic performance in watersplitting. We herein introduced electron beam irradiation to enhance the photocatalytic activities of anelectro-sprayed titania film for solar water splitting application. The film was fabricated by a facile andscalable electrostatic spraying deposition. According to SEM, X-ray diffraction, and Raman data, electronbeam densified the film and improved its crystallinity. Absorbance data indicated that the band gap ofthe E-beam film reduced, which in turn covered the wider range of absorbed light. These modificationsincreased oxygen vacancies or defects, which enhanced mobility and separation of electrons and holes.As a result, the E-beam film exhibited a threefold increase in the photocurrent density, compared to thatof the non-E-beam film. This electrosprayed titania film was used as a photoanode while the referenceand counter electrodes involved in the generation of hydrogen were made of Ag/AgCl and platinum,respectively. The intensity of the UV light illumination used was 1 mW/cm2.