Abstract:
Powder catalysts were deposited as thin films
on transparent conductive oxides (TCO) by means of an
airbrush spray coating technique. Photoelectrocatalytic
properties of the powder catalysts were characterized
using photocurrent spectroscopy at different wavelengths
demonstrating on the one hand the stability of the films
and on the other hand the electrical connection with the
electrode surface. The morphology and thickness of the
deposited powder catalyst films on TCO were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. Aiming at photocatalytic water splitting, semiconductor powders like
gallium oxide (Ga2O3) and zinc oxide (ZnO) were used
as test samples to optimize the deposition technique resulting in thin homogeneous layers and good adhesion on
the conductive substrate. The proposed airbrush deposition technique of powder catalysts allows closing an experimental gap between microheterogeneous systems and
modified electrodes for finding suitable materials for photoelectrochemical water splitting.
