Morphological and Structural Modification of Silicon, Titanium and Iron Oxides by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for Solar Water Splitting

This study focuses on the synthesis and modification of silicon, titanium and iron oxides using PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition). The motivation for this work resulted from the urgent need for alternative energy solutions and demand for functional coatings. More detailed, thin films of semiconducting metal oxides (α-Fe2O3, TiO2) were prepared and modified to be applied for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting (WS) that has been regarded as a promising approach to eco-friendly generation of hydrogen from sea water. Main efforts were put into the improvement of the PEC performance, represented by photocurrent density and onset potential in linear scan voltammetry by three experimental strategies.