M. Abdurrahman

Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Science, Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria

F.W Burari

Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Science, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi state, Nigeria

H.F Haque

Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Science, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi state, Nigeria

O.W Olasoji

Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Science, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi state, Nigeria

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19184/cerimre.v6i2.38493

ABSTRACT 

In this paper, molybdenum disulfide (𝑀𝑜𝑆2) was hybridized with graphene carbon nitrite (𝑔−𝐶3𝑁4) and Cu2O in order to enhance the photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity and increase the light absorption range of Cu2O thin film. The melamine powder was poured in an empty container and then heated in a furnace to attain the𝑔−𝐶3𝑁4 powder. The ternary hetero-epitaxial growth was achieved by growing of 𝑀𝑜𝑆2/𝑔−𝐶3𝑁4 on the 𝐶𝑢2𝑂 hybrid by a partial thermal oxidation process. The characteristics of 𝑀𝑜𝑆2/𝑔−𝐶3𝑁4/𝐶𝑢2𝑂 hybrid film were investigated through XRD, FT-IR and photoelectronchemistry-related measurements. The PEC behavior of the ternary hybrid electrode was investigated using current-voltage test under illumination. The efficiency calculated from current-voltage test under illumination shows that the presence of graphene carbon nitrite and molybdenum disulphide within the film networks, despite its low content, could stimulate substantial improvement in maximum photoconversion efficiency from 0.036% to 0.33%. This improvement is attributable to the enhancement of the electron-transferring proficiency upon the insertion of 𝑔−𝐶3𝑁4 and 𝑀𝑜𝑆2, as confirmed by X-Ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD). The PEC test results signify that the photoelectrochemical activity of the 𝑀𝑜𝑆2/𝑔−𝐶3𝑁4/𝐶𝑢2𝑂 ternary hybrid is much higher than that of𝐶𝑢2𝑂 subtrate. The mechanisms accountable for the enhanced PEC behavior of the 𝑀𝑜𝑆2/𝑔−𝐶3𝑁4/𝐶𝑢2𝑂 ternary hybrid are discussed in detail.

Keywords: Cuprous oxide, J-V characteristic, Hetero-structure, Photoelectrochemical, Thermal oxidation.