Semiconductor electrodes modified by electrodeposition of discontinuous metal films. Part I. Role of the film morphology
Résumé
The stability of semiconductor photoanodes modified by electrodeposition of discontinuous Pt films has been investigated by measuring the shift ΔV in the flat-band potential with illumination. A simple model for ΔV shows that a quantitative determination is possible. The theory proposed explains the role of the film morphology and gives new insight into the potential distribution at the interface. The role of the metal-induced surface states and that of the kinetics are also discussed.