{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.014667817083692839, 'fraction_numerical': 0.02070750647109577, 'mean_word_length': 5.444444444444445, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
New benchmark to improve the photoelectrochemical properties of hematite

Modification in the properties of material by swift heavy ion irradiation is an interesting area of research. It provides the researchers a new dimension of introducing desired changes to the behaviour of the material, which largely influence their PEC properties also. This communication describes a study on the swift heavy ion irradiation induced modification in the PEC properties of nanostructured hematite thin films. Thin films of nanostructured α-Fe2O3 prepared by spray-pyrolysis were irradiated with Si7+ ions at fluence ranging from 5x1012 to 4x1013 ions/cm2. After characterizing them for structural, morphological and optical parameters, photoelectrochemical response of the irradiated and unirradiated samples of hematite thin films in terms of photocurrent density as a function of different ions fluence, towards the solar splitting of water was studied. It was observed that ion fluence plays an important role in modifying the PEC properties of the material. Sample irradiated with 100 MeV Si7+ ions at fluence 2x1013 ions/cm2 exhibited the best photocurrent density.