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Photoelectrochemical water splitting performance of flower like ZnO nanostructures synthesized by a novel chemical method

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Abstract

A flower like ZnO nanostructures are synthesized using by a novel chemical method without using any precipitating agent. Structural, morphological and optical properties are studied using powder XRD, FE-SEM, TEM and UV–Vis. spectroscopy measurements. The synthesized flower like ZnO nanostructures are in single hexagonal wurtzite phase with good crystalline nature. The average size of the flower like ZnO nanostructures is 50 nm visualized from FESEM images, which composed of 5 nm ZnO spherical nanoparticles. The formation mechanism for a flower like ZnO nanostructures are discussed in detail. Optical absorption spectrum of ZnO nanoflower showed a band gap of 3.25 eV. Photoelectrochemical water splitting performance is evaluated by current density measurement for different applied voltage. The improved photocurrent density is shown as 0.39 mA/cm at 0.6 V versus Ag/AgCl under simulated solar irradiation.

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Acknowledgments

This project is financed by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia under Grant DIP-2014-011 and FRGS/2/2013/ST01/UKM/01/1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    Subramaniam Sohila & Zahira Yaakob

  2. Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    Ramesh Rajendran, Zahira Yaakob, Mohd Asri Mat Teridi & Kamaruzzaman Sopian

  3. Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, Centre for Material Science and Nano Devices, SRM University, Kattankulathur, Chennai, 603 203, India

    Subramaniam Sohila

  4. Department of Physics, Periyar University, Salem, Tamilnadu, 636011, India

    Ramesh Rajendran

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  1. Subramaniam Sohila
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Correspondence to Ramesh Rajendran.

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Sohila, S., Rajendran, R., Yaakob, Z. et al. Photoelectrochemical water splitting performance of flower like ZnO nanostructures synthesized by a novel chemical method. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 27, 2846–2851 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-015-4100-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-015-4100-2

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