Defective ZnFe₂O₄ nanorods with oxygen vacancy for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Abstract

A 1D ZnFe₂O₄ photoanode is treated under a hydrogen or vacuum atmosphere to improve the photoelectrochemical water oxidation activity up to 20 times. This post-treatment creates oxygen vacancies in the ZnFe₂O₄ lattice that serve as a source of electron donors and passivates surface trap sites, and as a result improves charge transfer.