Enhanced photocurrent generation from indium-tin-oxide/Fe2TiO5 hybrid nanocone arrays

Semiconductor oxide materials, including alpha-Fe2O3 (hematite), have been investigated as possible candidates for large-scale solar-to-chemical energy conversion. However, many of these materials suffer from inefficient charge transport leading to undesirable charge recombination. Although plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis has achieved some success in enhancing light absorption and hot carrier generation, the intrinsic ohmic losses within the metal hinder its wide applications. Here, we use large-area indium-tin-oxide (ITO) nanocone arrays that exhibit both high electrical transport, strong light trapping and enlarged surface area with reduced ohmic losses. We further adopted sputtered iron titanate (Fe2TiO5) thin films that show better photocatalytic performance than hematite. The photoanode made of all-oxide ITO/Fe2TiO5 nanocone array exhibited Mie resonance-enhanced photocurrent generation up to 31 times. These ITO nanocones can be readily combined with other oxide materials providing great opportunities for efficient photon management in enhanced photocatalysis.