ERIC Number: EJ1287092
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Feb
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Photooxidation of Water with Thin Film Tungsten Oxides
Van Ryswyk, Hal; Loar, Aech; Kelber, Jacob; Meznarich, Zooey; Sabin, Jocelyn; Griffith, Simone; Stevenson, Leah E.
Journal of Chemical Education, v98 n2 p614-619 Feb 2021
Tungsten oxide semiconductors are used to photooxidize water. Students prepare WO3, CuWO4, and mixed composition thin film photoanodes. The syntheses are simple, allowing for the quick production of a range of materials. Photoanodes are tested in a photoelectrochemical cell assembled from common equipment, allowing for the direct comparison of photoanode performance. Composite photoanodes perform best, leading to a discussion of what limits overall performance in these materials. Additional instrumental methods such as SEM, EDS, XRD, and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectrophotometry, if available, can be incorporated readily into the experiment, providing additional insights into material properties. Students are introduced to solid-state chemistry, semiconductors, and the photooxidation of water in the context of the hydrogen economy.
Descriptors: Science Instruction, College Science, Undergraduate Study, Inorganic Chemistry, Science Laboratories, Water, Scientific Concepts, Concept Formation
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A