In-situ synthesis of 3D TiO2 microspheres on Ti mesh to enhance photoelectrochemical water splitting

Much attention has been focused on the fabrication of TiO 2 microspheres due to their excellent properties and attractive potential in many fields. Here, undoped 3D hierarchical TiO 2 microspheres (TMS) were synthesized in situ on Ti mesh using a hydrothermal method by varying NaOH concentration, reaction time and temperature. The 3D TMS grown along the surface of the woven wires of the Ti meshes, using the metal Ti meshes as a substrate, which resulted in improved conductivity. Meanwhile, the original Ti mesh with the macroporosity (due to the 15 % open area of the mesh) can act as fast proton mass diffusion. As a result, the flexible TMS-Ti photoelectrodes exhibit an excellent current density of 1.63 mA/cm 2 at a potential of 1.23 V (vs Ag/AgCl). Therefore, the in situ synthesis of TiO 2 microspheres on Ti mesh is highly desirable for flexible devices.