Vertically aligned Ta3N5 nanorod arrays for solar-driven photoelectrochemical water splitting.

A vertically aligned Ta(3)N(5) nanorod photoelectrode is fabricated by through-mask anodization and nitridation for water splitting. The Ta(3)N(5) nanorods, working as photoanodes of a photoelectrochemical cell, yield a high photocurrent density of 3.8 mA cm(-2) at 1.23 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode under AM 1.5G simulated sunlight and an incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency of 41.3% at 440 nm, one of the highest activities reported for photoanodes so far.