Surface modification by potential delay to obtain a photoactive PbO film

Abstract

Nonstoichiometric alpha-PbO has been found to be a photoactive semiconducting oxide and its photoactivity depends on the composition. It is found that the oxide phase becomes more photoactive as the ratio of PbO to PbO2 in the film composition approaches less than unity. XRD results support the fact that the best photoactive oxide phase contains alpha-PbO, with a preferred crystal orientation, as the major content.