Preparation of CeO2/Flake-like CdS Composites as High-Performance Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Cathodic Protection

CeO 2 /CdS nanocomposites with the function of storing electrons and physical barrier were fabricated for photocathodic protection through a stepwise synthetic route.The obtained smples were characterized by XRD, TEM, UV-Vis and PL.The photoelectrochemical properties of CeO 2 /CdS with different mass ratios were investigated under white light irradiation.The maximum photocurrent density of CeO 2 /CdS (mass ratio 0.2 : 1.0) is 700 μA•cm -2 and the potential of the 304 stainless steel coated with CeO 2 /CdS (mass ratio 0.2 : 1.0) shifts to -650 mV (vs.SCE), which is significantly lower than the corrosion potential (-200 mV vs. SCE).The above results indicate that the CeO 2 /CdS composites exhibit remarkable photo cathodic properties which are attributed to the heterostructure of CeO 2 nanoparticles and CdS nanosheets, and the structure facilitates the separation of photo-induced electron and hole.Furthermore, the CeO 2 /CdS composites can also provide cathodic protection for 12 h in the dark.