Characterization of MFe₂O₄ (M = Mg, Zn) Thin Films Prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition for Photoelectrochemical Applications

Abstract

Earth-abundant visible light-absorbing photoelectrodes of the spinel ferrites ZnFe2O4 and MgFe2O4 have been prepared as dense and crack-free thin films using pulsed laser deposition, to investigate the basic electronic properties of these two emerging absorber materials. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy confirm the phase purity of the prepared thin films, whereas magnetotransport and Hall measurements in combination with Mott–Schottky and photoelectrochemical measurements were performed to reveal the performance-limiting factors of those absorbers for photoelectrochemical water oxidation. Our results provide new insights to improve the performance of ferrite-based photoelectrodes in the future.