[en] The performances of titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films used in photoelectrochemical applications (solar cells, water splitting, photocatalysis, etc) highly depend on their morphology and interface. In this work, we describe a straightforward strategy for designing conductive carbon-coated TiO2 porous layers allowing for the tuning of interfacial charge transfers. Increased specific surface and improved conductivity are expected from the porosity and the carbon coating, respectively. In practice, polystyrene/polyacrylonitrile (PS-PAN) and polystyrene/polydopamine (PS-PDA) core-shell particles synthesized by emulsion polymerization are considered as templating agents for the production of carbon-coated and ordered porous TiO2 layers. After spin coating deposition of the particles, infiltration of the TiO2 precursor and calcination, voids are created in the film by thermal degradation of the PS cores whereas PAN and PDA produced carbon at the surface of the TiO2 inverse opal matrix. Uncoated PS particles are also considered as benchmark templating agents. Size and composition of the polymer particles as well as the morphology and electronic properties of the corresponding porous TiO2 films are evaluated. In particular, the charge transfer resistance of the films is investigated via Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) as a preliminary assessment of these unprecedented carbon-coated porous TiO2 layers as semiconducting materials
Research center :
Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM) Research Unit Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM)
Disciplines :
Materials science & engineering Chemistry
Author, co-author :
Thangaraj, Vidhyadevi ; University of Liège (ULiège), Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM) Research Unit, Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM), Belgium
Dewalque, Jennifer ; University of Liège (ULiège), Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM), Group of Research in Energy and ENvironment from MATerials (Greenmat)
Maho, Anthony ; University of Liège (ULiège), Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM), Group of Research in Energy and ENvironment from MATerials (Greenmat)
Spronck, Gilles ; University of Liège (ULiège), Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM), Group of Research in Energy and ENvironment from MATerials (Greenmat)
Malherbe, Cédric ; University of Liège (ULiège), Laboratory of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry, MolSys Research Unit, Belgium
Aqil, Abdelhafid ; University of Liège (ULiège), Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM) Research Unit, Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM), Belgium
Cloots, Rudi ; University of Liège (ULiège), Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM), Group of Research in Energy and ENvironment from MATerials (Greenmat)
Colson, Pierre ; University of Liège (ULiège), Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM), Group of Research in Energy and ENvironment from MATerials (Greenmat)
Jérôme, Christine ; University of Liège (ULiège), Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM) Research Unit, Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM), Belgium
Debuigne, Antoine ; University of Liège (ULiège), Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM) Research Unit, Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM), Belgium
Language :
English
Title :
Carbon-coated porous TiO2 layers templated by core-shell polymer particles: film processing and charge transfer resistance assessment
Publication date :
05 December 2020
Journal title :
Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
ISSN :
0927-7757
eISSN :
1873-4359
Publisher :
Elsevier, Netherlands
Volume :
606
Pages :
125390
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
The Walloon Region in the frame of the SOLIDYE project F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
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