Effect of Zinc Telluride- Tungsten Oxide Composite for Water Splitting Using Cathodic Electrodeposition on Tin-Indium Substrate

The search for alternative sources of clean energy is even more apparent now versus twenty years ago due to the environmental awareness of today’s society. One source of energy which is explored is the photoelectrochemical splitting of water molecules. The development of the zinc telluride (ZnTe) sensitizers on the tungsten oxide catalyst (WO₃) which is electrodeposited on an Indium tin oxide substrate is a fairly new platform for the splitting of the water molecule. Our research involves a three step holistic method based on the principles of electrolysis where the indium oxide is initially coated with WO₃ and then with ZnTe. Tungsten oxide is selected for this process as it exhibits a 2.6 eV bandgap which makes it an effective source to harvest the solar spectrum’s blue light as well as a high electrochromic capability. Whereas ZnTe is chosen to act as the electron collector for the cathode due to its negative conduction band edge of -1.63 eV, and it also displays a similar bandgap alignment of 2.26 eV. The objective of this work is to study the contribution of WO₃ decorated ZnTe in the splitting of H₂O. We will present the result of our investigation on cathodic electrodeposition of WO₃-ZnTe thin film on tin-indium substrate, with its catalytic properties as an electrode for H₂O splitting.