@misc{RichterChengCrumlinetal., author = {Richter, Matthias R. and Cheng, Wen-Hui and Crumlin, Ethan J. and Drisdell, Walter S. and Atwater, Harry A. and Schmeißer, Dieter and Lewis, Nathan S. and Brunschwig, Bruce S.}, title = {X‑ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Resonant X‑ray Spectroscopy Investigations of Interactions between Thin Metal Catalyst Films and Amorphous Titanium Dioxide Photoelectrode Protection Layers}, series = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {33}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, number = {4}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/acs.chemmater.0c04043}, pages = {1265 -- 1275}, abstract = {The use of electrochemistry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and resonant X-ray spectroscopy has unlocked the paradox of interfacial hole conduction through amorphous TiO2 (a-TiO2) to deposited Ni, Ir, and Au metal catalysts. Although electrocatalysts for the oxygen-evolution reaction derived from metallic Ir and Ni have mutually similar overpotentials in alkaline media, Si/a-TiO2/Ir interfaces exhibit higher overpotentials than Si/a-TiO2/Ni interfaces. The data allow formulation of full band energy diagrams for n-Si/a-TiO2/metal interfaces for M = Ni, Ir, or Au. Although both Ni and Ir produce band bending in a-TiO2 favoring hole conduction, only Ni creates multiple states within the a-TiO2 band gap at the a-TiO2/Ni interface, which produces a quasi-metallic interface at the a-TiO2/Ni junction. Au, however, produces a flat-band interface that limits hole conduction without any new band gap states.}, language = {en} }