Facile surfactant driven fabrication of transparent WO3 photoanodes for improved photoelectrochemical properties

• WO3 films produced by polymer-assisted deposition method with addition of Triton X 114.
• Highly transparent WO3 films become active photoanodes for water oxidation.
• Triton X 114 addition produces (2 0 0) oriented WO3 with improved bulk charge separation.

A facile polymer-assisted direct deposition method is reported for fabrication of transparent WO3 films for photoelectrochemical water oxidation. Addition of Triton X 114 as a polymer additive brings a significant impact on morphology, optical property and crystallinity of WO3 film that leads to improved photoelectrochemical activity. An optimum amount of Triton X 114 added during the WO3 synthesis makes a photoanode with near glass-like transparency with activity improvement. Moreover, bulk charge separation efficiency as high as 80% at 1.23 VRHE is obtained by Triton X 114 addition by forming preferentially (200) oriented WO3 crystals of better bulk charge transfer property.

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