%A Benedit-Cárdenas, A. A. %A Cabrera, R. %A Fundora, A. %A González, B. %A Laza, C. %A Vigil, E. %D 2019 %T Study of “Doctor Blade” Nano-CuO Photoelectrode for Perspective Water Splitting %B 2019 %9 %! Study of “Doctor Blade” Nano-CuO Photoelectrode for Perspective Water Splitting %K %X Solar fuels are indispensable for a 100% renewable energy future. Pursuing semiconductor photoelectrodes to obtain H2 using water-splitting photoelectrochemical cells is an important research topic today. Bandgaps as high as 1.9 eV have been reported for nano-CuO because of quantum effects; this favors its possible use for water photolysis. In this paper, nano-CuO films, fabricated using the simple “doctor blade” technique, are studied as photoelectrode in a two-electrode PEC cell for water photolysis. SEM analysis confirm the nanometric size of film grains and the photoelectrode porosity. The photocurrent behavior is studied, particularly, photocurrent transients for non-assisted and assisted water photolysis. Existing defects acting as carrier traps explain the different transient behaviors found. The existence of defects is explored using X-ray diffraction and the Williamson-Hall technique. %U http://www.revistacubanadefisica.org/index.php/rcf/article/view?path= %J Revista Cubana de Física %0 Journal Article %& 60 %P 6 %V 36 %N 1 %@ 2224-7939 %8 2019-07-14 %7 2019-07-15