Polypyrrole sensitized ZnO nanorod arrays for efficient photo-electrochemical splitting of water

In this paper, we report the fabrication and characterization of PPy sensitized ZnO nanorod arrays (PPy/ZnO NRs), and its use as a photo-electrode for efficient photo-electrochemical splitting of water under solar light. PPy/ZnO NRs were synthesized on a large scale on indium tin oxide (ITO) by a simple two-step method. UV–vis spectrum showed that PPy/ZnO NRs had strong absorption in nearly the visible light spectrum. FTIR results indicated that there might be a strong interaction between PPy and ZnO with the valence bond of C3O3Zn. The photo-electrochemical measurements of PPy/ZnO NRs exhibited extreme optimal photocurrent up to 0.68 mA/cm2. The results implied that PPy/ZnO NRs offerred improved light absorption, increased photocurrent generation due to the effective charge separation in PPy and ZnO NRs, and enhanced oxidized H2O kinetics because of the synergistic effect of PPy and ZnO NRs.