Abstract In the present study, photo-electrochemical and hydrogen evolution characteristics of a new type of TiO 2 (ns) and TiO 2 (ns)–In 2 O 3 /Ti septum based semiconductor-septum photo-electrochemical (SC-SEP, PEC) solar cell has been studied. The SC-SEP cell in the configuration of SCE/1 M NaOH/TiO 2 (ns)/Ti/H 2 SO 4 +K 2 SO 4 /Pt CE , Pt WE showed the photo-voltage and photo-current of 0.72 V and 8.6 mA/cm 2 , whereas the SC-SEP cell employing In 2 O 3 admixed TiO 2 (ns) photo-electrode and having the configuration: SCE/1 M NaOH/TiO 2 (ns)–In 2 O 3 /Ti/H 2 SO 4 +K 2 SO 4 /Pt CE , Pt WE , showed the photo-voltage and photo-current of 0.92 V and 14.6 mA/cm 2 , respectively. The hydrogen gas evolution for the SC-SEP cell based on TiO 2 (ns)/Ti photo-electrode was found to be 8.2 l/h m 2 , on the other hand the In 2 O 3 modified TiO 2 (ns) exhibited a higher hydrogen gas evolution rate of 11.8 l/h m 2 . Evidence and arguments have been put forward to show that the presence of In 2 O 3 over TiO 2 makes the system posses the advantages of a colloidal photochemical system. The better performance of the new photo-electrode is thought to be due to improved spectral response and catalytic activity of In 2 O 3 in regard to the hydrogen gas evolution kinetics.
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