Development and Characterization of Novel Nanostructured SrTi1-xFexO3-y solid solution for Solar Electricity Generation

Abstract

A novel class of materials namely SrTi_1-xFe_xO_3-y or strontium titanate ferrate (STF) with solid solution character, suitable for solar electricity conversion, has been developed. The STF films were prepared by spray pyrolysis technique, designated as 2STF, 3STF and 4STF in the order of increasing thickness. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Dark cyclic voltammetry (with and without illumination) studies were performed on the samples. The thicknesses of film deposits on electrodes were also measured by using a DEKTAK 6M STYLUS PROFILER system to compare with the SEM results. A blue LED was used to illuminate the samples by pulsing ‘On’ and ‘Off’ for different time intervals. The SEM images show that the homogeneity of films is directly proportional to the spraying time (thickness). The EDX measurement performed for sample 2STF has confirmed the contents Sr, Ti, and Fe. The XRD results indicate that the STF film compound may contain some material belonging to the perovskite family AMO₃, where A and M are metals. The cyclic voltammetry measurements reveal that the developed STF is photochemically active which makes it suitable for solar water splitting application.