Single phased MnZnO3 solid solution thin films for solar energy harvesting applications

•Single phased MnZnO3 photoanode thin films from single source precursor.•Topography and cross sectional studies.•Optical band gap of 2.18 eV.•An anodic photocurrent density of 300 µA/cm2 at 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl.

Single phased manganese-zinc oxide (MnZnO3) solid solution thin films have been deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates by aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) using a single source bimetallic complex, [Mn2Zn2(TFA)8(THF)4]n (1) (where TFA=trifluroactetato and THF=tetrahydrofuran), as precursor. The complex (1) was obtained by direct reaction of diacetatozinc(II) dihydrate, diacetatomanganese(II) and trifloroacetic acid in THF and was characterized by physico-chemical methods. The thickness of the film observed by a profilometer, is about 375 nm. The phase purity and the stoichiometry of the films were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The field emission gun-scanning electron microscopic (FEG-SEM) and atomic force microscopic (AFM) images confirmed that the film deposited at 500 °C shows an agglomerated flower-like structure with high roughness and porosity. The optical measurements suggested that MnZnO3 has a direct band gap of 2.18 eV. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) studies showed an anodic photocurrent density of 300 µA/cm2 at 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide