Electrochemical synthesis of hierarchical Cu2O stars with enhanced photoelectrochemical properties

Abstract Nanopyramid-assembled three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical Cu 2 O stars on F-doped SnO 2 coated glass (FTO) substrates have been successfully synthesized using a rapid and facile electrodeposition approach from aqueous solutions near room temperature. Combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray-induced Cu LMM Auger studies reveal only Cu 2 O on the surface of the samples. The Cu 2 O stars exhibit superior photocurrent performance over Cu 2 O nanoparticles in photoelectrochemical cell applications. In addition, the photocurrent of the Cu 2 O samples is due to water splitting.