Abstract:
It is a dire need for the development of materials that can generate energy from renewable
resources, which are helpful to meet the future energy challenges as well as to address global
warming. In the present research project, we have studied an efficient method for hydrogen
production through water splitting using solar irradiation. We have developed the nanostructured
transition metal oxides thin films of yttrium (Y), chromium (Cr) and iron (Fe) from their single
source precursors using in-house build aero-sol assisted chemical vapor deposition technique. The
as-fabricated thin films were characterized for their structural, optical, morphological, and
electrochemical properties using XRD, FESEM, EDS, FTIR, UV and LV measurements.
Furthermore, the as-fabricated thin films were applied as working electrode to test their
photoelectrochemical water splitting response under xenon lamp irradiation using linear
voltammetry. The thin films showed prominence response for PEC applications. Apart from this,
it is interesting to mention that we have tried to develop the single source precursor of transition
metals i.e. gadolinium, europium, gallium, yttrium and chromium, corresponding to the
development of their respective metal sulfide electrodes for PEC study. Unfortunately, we could
not be successful in the synthesis of these precursors for metal sulfide thin films fabrication. The
detail of the unsuccessful reactions and possible reasons have been discussed in the experimental
section of the thesis.
