• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.97-101
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• 2016

ZnO has nanostructured material because of unique properties suitable for various applications. Amongst all chemical and physics methods of synthesis of ZnO nanostructure, the hydrothermal method is attractive for its simplicity and environment friendly condition. Nanostructure ZnO thin films have been successfully synthesized on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate using hydrothermal method. A possible growth mechanism of the various nanostructures ZnO is discussed in schematics. The prepared materials were characterized by standard analytical techniques, i.e., X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD study showed that the obtained ZnO nanostructure thin films are in crystalline nature with hexagonal wurtzite phase. The SEM image shows substrate surface covered with nanostructure ZnO nanrod. The UV-vis absorption spectrum of the synthesized nanostructure ZnO shows a strong excitonic absorption band at 365 nm which indicate formation nanostructure ZnO thin film. Photoluminescence spectra illustrated two emission peaks, with the first one at 424 nm due to the band edge emission of ZnO and the second broad peak centered around 500 nm possibly due to oxygen vacancies in nanostructure ZnO. The Raman measurements peaks observed at $325cm^{-1}$, $418cm^{-1}$, $518cm^{-1}$ and $584cm^{-1}$ indicated that nanostrusture ZnO thin film is high crystalline quality. We trust that nanostructure ZnO material can be effectively will be used as a highly active and stable phtocatalysis application.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.393-399
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• 2016

We have successfully fabricated 3D (3-dimensional) nanostructures of $TiO_2$ coated with a $g-C_3N_4$ layer via hydrothermal and sintering methods to enhance photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. Due to the coupling of $TiO_2$ and $g-C_3N_4$, the nanostructures exhibited good performance as the higher conduction band of $g-C_3N_4$, which can be combined with $TiO_2$. To fabricate 3D nanostructures of $g-C_3N_4/TiO_2$, $TiO_2$ was first grown as a double layer structure on FTO (Fluorine-doped tin oxide) substrate at $150^{\circ}C$ for 3 h. After this, the $g-C_3N_4$ layer was coated on the $TiO_2$ film at $520^{\circ}C$ for 4 h. As-prepared samples were varied according to loading of melamine powder, with values of loading of 0.25 g, 0.5 g, 0.75 g, and 1 g. From SEM and TEM analysis, it was possible to clearly observe the 3D sample morphologies. From the PEC measurement, 0.5 g of $g-C_3N_4/TiO_2$ film was found to exhibit the highest current density of $0.12mA/cm^2$, along with a long-term stability of 5 h. Compared to the pristine $TiO_2$, and to the 0.25 g, 0.75 g, and 1 g $g-C_3N_4/TiO_2$ films, the 0.5 g of $g-C_3N_4/TiO_2$ sample was coated with a thin $g-C_3N_4$ layer that caused separation of the electrons and the holes; this led to a decreasing recombination. This unique structure can be used in photoelectrochemical applications.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.631-635
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• 2017

We report facile solution processing of mesoporous hematite (${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$) thin films for high efficiency solar-driven water splitting. $Fe_2O_3$ thin films were prepared on fluorine doped tin oxide(FTO) conducting substrates by spin coating of a precursor solution followed by annealing at $550^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. in air ambient. Specifically, the precursor solution was prepared by dissolving non-toxic $FeCl_3$ as an Fe source in highly versatile dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) as a solvent. The as-deposited and annealed thin films were characterized for their morphological, structural and optical properties using field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The photoelectrochemical performance of the precursor (${\alpha}-FeOOH$) and annealed (${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$) films were characterized and it was found that the ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ film exhibited an increased photocurrent density of ${\sim}0.78mA/cm^2$ at 1.23 V vs. RHE, which is about 3.4 times higher than that of the ${\alpha}-FeOOH$ films ($0.23mA/cm^2$ at 1.23 V vs. RHE). The improved performance can be attributed to the improved crystallinity and porosity of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ thin films after annealing treatment at higher temperatures. Detailed electrical characterization was further carried out to elucidate the enhanced PEC performance of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ thin films.