Size-dependent water splitting activity of ZnO nanorods

In this study, we investigated the size-dependent photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting activity of ZnO nanorods. Large area one-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanorod arrays were grown on ZnO seed layers by a hydrothermal method. Morphology analysis revealed that different-sized ZnO nanorods can be successfully prepared by controlling the reaction time. PEC activities of different-sized ZnO nanorods were tested using a three-electrode configuration under simulated solar illumination. Different photocurrent values were obtained for different-sized ZnO nanorods. Thus, our results indicate that PEC activity of prepared photocathodes can be optimized by adjusting the length and diameter of ZnO nanorods