Search results for "Photocurrent Spectroscopy"
showing 10 items of 24 documents
Influence of the electrodeposition conditions on the energetics of polypyrrole thin films
2008
The influence of the solvent used for the electrodeposition and that of the dopant anion on the energetics of electrochemically grown polypyrrole were studied by means of a non-destructive optical technique: Photocurrent Spectroscopy. Polypyrrole films doped with the same anion and grown in different solvents, both aqueous and non- aqueous, show the same HOMO-LUMO gap and the same Fermi level location in respect to HOMO. Polypyrrole films doped with different anions in aqueous solutions, present different values of indirect band gap and flat band potential, indicating that dopant anion influences both the defects band and the Fermi level locations.
Photocurrent Spectroscopy Applied to the Characterization of Compositionally and Structurally Graded Materials: from Thin Films to Nanostructures
2010
Red Shift in the Light Absorption Threshold of Anodic TiO2 Films Induced by Nitrogen Incorporation
2014
Abstract Titanium foils were anodized in ammonium containing and ammonium free solutions in order to check the possibility of inducing nitrogen incorporation into anodic TiO 2 films. XPS spectra confirmed the presence of O-Ti-N bonds on the surface of the anodic films prepared in ammonium biborate electrolytes. In order to evidence the effect of nitrogen incorporation on the light absorption threshold, photoelectrochemical behavior of as-anodized and high temperature annealed films as a function of the anodizing electrolyte composition were investigated. A photocurrent tail at energies lower than the mobility gap of TiO 2 appeared for those films prepared in ammonium containing electrolytes…
Photo-electrochemical and impedance investigation of passive layers grown anodically on titanium alloys
2004
Abstract The anodic behaviour of two titanium cast alloys, obtained by fusion in a voltaic arc under argon atmosphere, was analyzed in aerated aqueous solutions having different pH values. In all solutions the alloys, having nominal compositions Ti–50Zr at.% and Ti–13Zr–13Nb wt.%, displayed a valve-metal behaviour, owing to the formation of barrier-type oxide films. Passive films, grown potentiodynamically up to about 9 V, were investigated by photocurrent spectroscopy (PCS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). These passive layers show photoactivity under anodic polarizations, with optical gaps close to 3.55 and 3.25 eV for the binary and the ternary alloy, respectively, indep…
The effect of thickness on the composition of passive films on a Ti–50Zr at% alloy
2006
Abstract Anodic films were grown potentiodynamically in different electrolytes (pH = 1–14) on a Ti–50Zr at% cast alloy, obtained by fusion in a voltaic arc under argon atmosphere. The thickness of the films was varied by changing formation potential from the open circuit potential up to about 9 V; growth was followed by 30 min stabilization at the forming potential. Films having different thicknesses were characterized by photocurrent spectroscopy (PCS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Moreover, film composition was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Regardless of the anodizing conditions, passive films on the Ti–50Zr at% alloy consist of a single layer mix…
Photocurrent Spectroscopy in Corrosion and Passivity Studies. A Critical Assessment
2016
Photocurrent Spectroscopy (PCS) is currently employed for the characterization of solid-state properties of semiconducting and insulating materials, since the knowledge of their band gap is a prerequisite to any possible application in different fields such as: solar energy conversion (photoelectrochemical and photovoltaic solar cells, photocatalysis) and microelectronics (high-k, high band-gap materials) (1-2). In the last 20-30 years an increasing number of scientists working in the area of corrosion has been attracted by this technique owing to its versatility and ability to scrutinize in situ corrosion layers and passive films having semiconducting or insulating behaviour. In previous w…
Photocurrent Spectroscopy Applied to the Characterization of Passive Films on Sputter-Deposited Ti-Zr Alloys
2008
Abstract A photoelectrochemical investigation on thin (⩽13 nm) mixed oxides grown on sputter-deposited Ti–Zr alloys of different composition by air exposure and by anodizing (formation voltage, UF = 4 V/SCE) was carried out. The experimental results showed that the optical band gap, E g opt , increases with increasing Zr content in both air formed and anodic films. Such behaviour is in agreement with the theoretical expectation based on the correlation between the band gap values of oxides and the difference of electronegativity of their constituents. The flat band potential of the mixed oxides was found to be almost independent on the Ti/Zr ratio into the film and more anodic with respect …
Physicochemical Characterization of Passive Films and Corrosion Layers by Differential Admittance and Photocurrent Spectroscopy
2009
Two different electrochemical techniques, differential admittance and photocurrent spectroscopy, for the characterization of electronic and solid state properties of passive films and corrosion layers are described and critically evaluated. In order to get information on the electronic properties of passive film and corrosion layers as well as the necessary information to locate the characteristic energy levels of the passive film/electrolyte junction like: flat band potential (Ufb), conduction band edge (EC) or valence band edge (EV), a wide use of Mott-Schottky plots is usually reported in corrosion science and passivity studies. It has been shown, in several papers, that the use of simpl…
A photoelectrochemical investigation of conversion coatings on Mg substrates
2005
Abstract The structure, morphology and composition of conversion coatings grown in stannate bath on pure Mg were studied using potential–time, polarization curves, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and photocurrent spectroscopy. The coating is manly constituted by crystalline magnesium–tin hydroxide, whose morphology and distribution depends on the conversion bath composition and temperature. The photoelectrochemical investigation allowed to estimate the band gap value of MgSn(OH) 6 and flat band potential. A sketch of the metal/passive film/electrolyte junction formed during conversion on the metal substrate is reported to account for the overall photoelectrochemical behaviou…