Abstract
In this study, Ti3+ doped rutile TiO2 nanorods grown on FTO glass were synthesized by hydrothermal reaction using titanium isopropoxide as a precursor in a HCl and IPA mixture solution, then, the electrochemically Ti3+ doped process was conducted at -1.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl for 60 s. The nanorods along the [001] direction with 15-20 nm width and 3 µm length were grown perpendicularly on the FTO glass. The Ti3+ doped rutile TiO2 nanorods grown on FTO glass were used as working electrode for photoelectrochemical water splitting in 0.1 M Na2C2O4 aqueous solution. Due to the enhancement of carrier density, Ti3+ doped TiO2 nanorods demonstrate the great performance in photoelectrochemical water splitting. The photocurrent density reaches 0.77 mA/cm2 at 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl under the irradiation of solar simulator with 96 mW/cm2. Therefore, The electrochemically Ti3+ doped TiO2 nanorods can be employed as a promising photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting.