Abstract:
The introduction of second-phase materials to construct heterojunctions and the addition of co-catalysts can effectively improve the photoelectrochemical performance of semiconductor materials. In this study, Ti
3C
2-WO
3/SrTiO
3 composites were designed and prepared to protect 304 stainless steel (304 SS) by photochemical cathodic protection technology in simulated sunlight environment. The results show that the photoelectrochemical cathodic protection performance of Ti
3C
2-WO
3/SrTiO
3 composites is significantly enhanced. Coupling 304 SS with Ti
3C
2-WO
3/SrTiO
3 composites transfers the potential of 304 SS from −0.13 V to −0.42 V, and the ternary composites produce a photocurrent density 7 times higher than SrTiO
3 alone. The heterojunction electric field formed at the WO
3/SrTiO
3 interface and the addition of co-catalyst Ti
3C
2 synergistically improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes, and improve the photoelectrochemical cathodic protection performance.