Ultrafast charge carrier recombination and trapping in hematite photoanodes under applied bias.

ABSTRACT: Transient absorption spectroscopy on subpicosecond to second time scales is used to investigate photogenerated charge carrier recombination in Si-doped nanostructured hematite (α-Fe2O3) photoanodes as a function of applied bias. For unbiased hematite, this recombination exhibits a 50% decay time of ~6 ps, ~10(3) times faster than that of TiO2 under comparable conditions. Anodic bias significantly retards hematite recombination dynamics, and causes the appearance of electron trapping on ps-μs time scales. These ultrafast recombination dynamics, their retardation by applied bias, and the associated electron trapping are discussed in terms of their implications for efficient water oxidation.

SUBMITTER: Pendlebury SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4210134 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature