Reduced graphene oxide as protective material on cuprous oxide nanowire; the challenges and proposal for improvement in photoelectrochemical application.

In this study, the protection of Cu 2 O nanowire (NW) against photocorrosion using reduced graphene oxide (rGO) through annealing has proven challenging. The rGO was incapable of forming conformal passivation around Cu 2 O NW strands, exposing Cu 2 O NW to a dramatic photocorrosion. The result validated the hypothesis, which underlines the possibility of carbon decomposition from rGO into CO or CO 2 gases, distorting the integrity of rGO sheets as a protective coating. Therefore, the current study proposes the carbon coating using the sputtering technique to produce a conformal coating around the NW strand, which should be the ideal protection strategy. [Display omitted] • Complete protection of Cu 2 O NW with rGO through annealing is challenging. • The rGO sheets were incapable of coating a single strand of NW for protection. • Passivation around Cu 2 O NW strand using rGO should be the ideal coating strategy. • Carbon sputtering on Cu 2 O NW via sputtering is proposed for a conformal coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]