Resumo

RIOS-DOMINGUEZ, Manuel Humberto  e  FRONTANA-URIBE, Bernardo A.. Microstructures of Binary Oxides with an Inverse Opal Structure Used as Photoelectrodes for Water Splitting. J. Mex. Chem. Soc [online]. 2023, vol.67, n.4, pp.621-668.  Epub 26-Set-2024. ISSN 1870-249X.  https://doi.org/10.29356/jmcs.v67i4.1998.

Recently, the weather has experienced changes and these have affected our life style. Fossil fuels used by the human have contributed to climate change and today it is impossible to modify. Researchers have studied different kind of fuels that could use daily. Currently, hydrogen, from water splitting, is the best way to substitute the fossil fuels because water is present around the World. In photoelectrochemistry, the electrodes have a great importance. Behaviour of each semiconductor as 𝑇iO2, 𝐹2𝑂3, 𝑁iO, 𝐶uO, 𝑁iS, 𝑍nO, 𝐶u2𝑂, etc., give us individual efficiency respect to solar light. Also, the semiconductor chosen, type of crystallinity and superficial area are important points for achieve high in efficiency. This review shows that inverse opal has a greater contact compared to rod, cauliflower, nanotubes, etc. Different ways to deposit the polystyrene allows us gain more contact area and better photoelectrode efficiency. The main routes used to obtain binary oxides deposits, as electrophoretic, spin coating, vertical submersion, etc., help us to control polystyrene arrangement and obtain a uniform template. These techniques are discussed along this contribution.

Palavras-chave : Inverse opal; water splitting; template; hematite; titanium oxide; zinc oxide; copper (I) oxide; nickel sulfide; nickel oxide; photoelectrode.