Abstract

This study explores the synthesis of carbon-doped titanium dioxide TiO2(C) photoanodes through a single-step, low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LCPVD) method, investigating the influence of carbon doping and oxygen vacancies on photoelectrochemical performance. The research employs morphological, structural, and photoelectrochemical characterization methods, including intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS) and distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis. We correlate the simultaneous presence of surface carbon and oxygen defects to improved charge separation and collection for TiO2(C) photoanodes. This work provides a comprehensive and detailed explanation of the photoelectrochemical performance of TiO2 electrodes, showing the potential behind combined IMPS-DRT analysis for photoelectrode characterization. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l.