Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of In2O3 nanocubes with oxygen vacancies via hydrogenation.

Abstract In recent years, the favorable effect of oxygen vacancies on photoelectrochemical performance has been observed in various metal oxides except In 2 O 3 and little attention has been paid to the photoelectrochemical properties of hydrogenated In 2 O 3 nanostructures. In this work, oxygen vacancies were introduced into In 2 O 3 nanocubes via hydrogenation. The formation of oxygen vacancies was verified by a variety of characterization techniques. Compared to the pristine In 2 O 3 nanocubes, the hydrogenated In 2 O 3 nanocubes exhibited substantially higher photoelectrochemical performance. The enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of hydrogenated In 2 O 3 nanocubes could be attributed to the increased optical absorption, more donor density and the efficient charge transfer and separation of photo-induced charge carrier derived from oxygen vacancies. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Oxygen vacancy was produced via hydrogenation. • Hydrogenated In 2 O 3 showed outstanding photoelectrochemical performance. • Correlation between Oxygen vacancy and performance was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]