Full solution-processed synthesis of all metal oxide-based tree-like heterostructures on fluorine-doped tin oxide for water splitting.

Well-ordered tree-like functional heterostructures, composed of the environmentally friendly oxides ZnO, TiO(2) , and CuO, on a fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate are realized by a practical, cost-effective, solution-processable strategy. The heterostructures are demonstrated to be an efficient light-harvesting medium in a photo-electrochemical cell to split water for hydrogen-gas generation, and the developed strategy provides a highly promising, cheap, green way to fabricate multifunctional hierarchically branched structures for many potential applications.