Javier Prieto Serrano: Cu-based nanoparticles films to enhance photocathode performance

Nanocatalysis Department Seminar
Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 2 PM
J. Heyrovský Institute, Seminar Room 108
Javier Prieto Serrano
Institute of Material Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), Madrid, Spain

Abstract
Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production and CO2 reduction are hot research topics due to the need to mitigate the effects of the global warming and climate change. As sunlight energy can be the driven force of these processes, fabrication of a new photoelectrodes with enhanced performance is necessary. In this sense, the use of nanomaterials is an interesting approach. We have used a gas-phase synthesis method (multiple ion cluster source) to generate nanostructured coatings based on copper nanoparticles (NPs). This fabrication method allows precise control of the copper oxidation state (from Cu0 to CuO through Cu2O, and their mixtures) as well as nanoparticle size and thickness of the layer. In this work, CuO nanoparticles were deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) transparent electrodes in order to evaluate their performance as photocathode. It is observed that photoresponse of CuO is modified by changing the morphology of the coating through thermal annealing, achieving different architectures. NPs size was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), their stoichiometry was studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), crystalline structure of the films was determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and finally, film thickness and morphology were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Photoelectrochemical response was evaluated by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).

Javier Prieto is a PhD student in Institute of Material Science of Madrid (ICMM) of CSIC. He got a bachelor and master at Autonomous University of Madrid and is currently enrolled in the third year of PhD. His activity is carried out at ESISNA (Interdisciplinary studies based on nanoscopic systems) group, under supervision of L. Martínez and María F. López within the framework of the Spanish SOLFuture project led by J. A. Martín-Gago.