(222c) SiO2 As a Protective Layer in Visible-Light Induced Hydrogen Production

CdS and CdSe co-sensitized TiO₂ assembled with urea electrocatalyst, Ni(OH)₂, on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass, has been employed as photoanode to realize simultaneous urea oxidation and water reduction under visible light irradiation. A Dielectric Barrier Layer (DBL) is employed to prevent the photocorrosion of the photoanodes by atomic layer deposition. The steady-state response of the photoelectrodes is investigated in a photoelectrochemical cell, and the charge transfer and recombination kinetics are measured using transient absorption spectroscopy to provide insight to the behavior of the photoanodes.