Ultrathin Ti-doped hematite photoanode by pyrolysis of ferrocene

Ultrathin Ti-doped α-Fe2O3 photoanode was prepared by a facile atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition method through pyrolysis of ferrocene at 450 °C on Ti foil. The as prepared ultrathin hematite thin film has a surface feature size of 70 × 30 nm and a thickness of 50 nm. The photocurrent of this ultrathin hematite photoanode prepared at 450 °C in 1 M NaOH reaches 900 μA/cm2 at 0.6 VSCE under AM 1.5G illumination. The superior performance to the thin films prepared on FTO glass was ascribed to the diffusion and doping of Ti4+ from the metal substrate during pyrolysis deposition of hematite on Ti substrate.