highly efficient and photostable photocathodes based on cuwo4/cu2o nanostructured thin films

Nanostructured cuwo4/cu2o thin films have been developed and used as photocathodes in photoelectrochemical water splitting. bare cu2o and cuwo4/cu2o have been prepared by wet chemical oxidation method. the photocurrent density and photostability of cuwo4/cu2o significantly increased in comparison with bare cu2o, according to the results. the photocurrent density values of bare cu2o and optimized cuwo4/cu2o samples were 0.8 and 1.8 ma/cm2 (at − 0.6 v vs. ag/agcl), respectively. in addition, the remaining photocurrent of optimized cuwo4/cu2o photocathode was 72% following 1000 s chronoamperometry test, which was over five times greater than that of bare cu2o photocathode (12.5%). field emission scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, ultraviolet visible (uv–vis), fourier transform infrared and raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the films prepared. as the results indicate, micro-/nanostructures of various morphologies are formed on the copper plate surfaces.