Efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting by anodically grown WO 3 electrodes

The potentiostatic anodization of metallic tungsten has been investigated in different solvent/electrolyte compositions with the aim of improving the water oxidation ability of the tungsten oxide layer. In the NMF/H 2O/NH4F solvent mixture, the anodization leads to highly efficient WO3 photoanodes, which, combining spectral sensitivity, an electrochemically active surface, and improved charge-transfer kinetics, outperform, under simulated solar illumination, most of the reported nanocrystalline substrates produced by anodization in aqueous electrolytes and by sol-gel methods. The use of such electrodes results in high water electrolysis yields of between 70 and 90% in 1 M H2SO4 under a potential bias of 1 V versus SCE and close to 100% in the presence of methanol. © 2011 American Chemical Society.