Editing Iron(III) oxide (section)

===Photocatalysis===
α-{{chem2|Fe2O3}} has been studied as a [[photoanode]] for solar water oxidation.<ref name=Kay2006>{{cite journal|author=Kay, A. |author2=Cesar, I. |author3=Grätzel, M.|title=New Benchmark for Water Photooxidation by Nanostructured α-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Films |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |volume=128 |issue=49 |pages=15714–15721 |doi=10.1021/ja064380l |pmid=17147381 |year=2006 }}</ref> However, its efficacy is limited by a short diffusion length (2–4&nbsp;nm) of photo-excited charge carriers<ref>{{cite journal|author=Kennedy, J.H.|author2=Frese, K.W.|title=Photooxidation of Water at α-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Electrodes|journal=Journal of the Electrochemical Society|volume=125|issue=5|pages=709|doi=10.1149/1.2131532|year=1978|bibcode=1978JElS..125..709K }}</ref> and subsequent fast [[Electron-hole recombination|recombination]], requiring a large [[overpotential]] to drive the reaction.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Le Formal, F. |title=Back Electron–Hole Recombination in Hematite Photoanodes for Water Splitting |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |volume=136 |issue=6 |pages=2564–2574 |doi=10.1021/ja412058x |pmid=24437340 |year=2014 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Research has been focused on improving the water oxidation performance of {{chem2|Fe2O3}} using nanostructuring,<ref name=Kay2006 /> surface functionalization,<ref>{{cite journal|author=Zhong, D.K. |author2=Gamelin, D.R.|title=Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation by Cobalt Catalyst ("Co−Pi")/α-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Composite Photoanodes: Oxygen Evolution and Resolution of a Kinetic Bottleneck |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |volume=132 |issue=12 |pages=4202–4207 |doi=10.1021/ja908730h |pmid=20201513 |year=2010 }}</ref> or by employing alternate crystal phases such as β-{{chem2|Fe2O3}}.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Emery, J.D. |title=Atomic Layer Deposition of Metastable β-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> via Isomorphic Epitaxy for Photoassisted Water Oxidation|journal=ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces|volume=6|issue=24|pages=21894–21900|doi=10.1021/am507065y|pmid=25490778|year=2014|osti=1355777}}</ref>