Fast sonochemical exfoliation of Hematene type sheets and flakes from hematite nanoarchitectures shows enhanced photocurrent density

Abstract

This work describes a sonochemical exfoliation technique for producing Hematene nanosheets and flakes from hematite nanopowder and a thin film. The optical properties of the resulting Hematene sheets and flakes differ from those of a pure Hematite film, allowing them to be utilized for the enhancement of photoelectrochemical functionality. In this study, we found that the ultrasonicated Hematite film containing Hematene flakes exhibits a greater photocurrent density than the non-sonicated Hematite film. The increased light absorption property of the Hematene flakes because of the scattering effect helps achieve this objective. The exfoliation process is further supported by the X-ray diffraction of the Hematene sheet, which demonstrates the splitting of the (104) plane Bragg peak following ultrasonication. The fast exfoliation of nanosheets and flakes is supported by a qualitatively predictable mechanism, which shows that the quick process of exfoliation is caused by the surface energy and hydroxylation of the crystal faces. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].