TiO2 hierarchical porous films sensitized by Sb2S3 nanoparticles for enhanced photoelectrochemical properties

In this paper, a novel TiO2 hierarchical porous film sensitized by Sb2S3 nanoparticles was prepared as photoelectrode for photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation. Firstly, TiO2 hierarchical porous film was synthesized by sol–gel technology using polyethylene glycol as template via self-assembly. Subsequently, Sb2S3 nanoparticles were deposited on the TiO2 hierarchical porous film to construct TiO2/Sb2S3 heterojunction by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. This new hierarchical porous composite structure demonstrated a high efficient photoelectrochemical performance with a remarkable photocurrent density of 1.40 mA cm−2 determined at 1.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The enhanced performance of TiO2 hierarchical porous film/Sb2S3 nanoparticles composite photoelectrode originated from the enhanced light absorption in visible region and reduced photogenerated charge recombination rate. Furthermore, compared with plain or less pore materials, hierarchical porous materials own the larger extraordinary localized surface to facilitate light harvesting and offer more active sites to deposit Sb2S3 nanoparticles. This work exhibits important significance in constructing photoelectrode for photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation.