CdS/PbS co-sensitized ZnO nanorods and its photovoltaic properties

Nanoparticles co-sensitized nanorods were designed and prepared by assembled CdS and PbS nanoparticles over ZnO nanorods using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The results showed that the uniform CdS and PdS nanoparticles could be deposited on the lateral and top of the ZnO nanorods when the precursor concentration was 0.05 M and 0.02 M, respectively. Solar cells based on CdS and PbS nanoparticles sensitized ZnO nanorods arrays were assembled successfully. A cell efficiency of 0.38% was obtained in ZnO/CdS/PbS in comparison with ZnO/PbS/CdS mainly due to the stepwise band edge structure constructed in this system except the coverage density of nanoparticles.     

p‐Type Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells with a CdSeS Quantum‐Dot‐Sensitized NiO Photocathode for Outstanding Short‐Circuit Current

CdSeS quantum dots (QDs) are firstly introduced into a NiO photocathode for photocathodic dye‐sensitized solar cells (p‐DSCs). The optimized sample exhibits a short‐circuit density (14.68 mA cm^?2) and power conversion efficiency (1.02%) that are almost one order of magnitude higher than the reported value of p‐QDSCs. Steady‐state photoluminescence and time‐resolved photoluminescence measurements indicate that the photoexcited holes can be almost completely injected from CdSeS QDs into the valence band of NiO. At the same time, it can be observed from electrochemical impedance spectra measurements.     

CdS/ZnO纳米复合结构的制备、表征及其光催化活性的改善

利用简单的水热法在ZnO纳米棒表面合成CdS纳米粒子.用扫描电镜(SEM)和X射线衍射(XRD)对CdS/ZnO异质结构进行表征.实验结果表明,在生长CdS的过程中ZnO被逐渐地腐蚀.选择CdS/ZnO纳米复合材料作为光催化剂在紫外光和绿光照射的条件下降解甲基橙(MO).CdS/ZnO纳米复合材料纳米棒作为光催化剂降解...     

CdS/ZnO纳米复合结构制备及荧光特性研究

为增强CdS纳米粒子的荧光强度,以及稳定性,研究了Cd,S不同质量比,有无稳定剂等条件下CdS纳米粒子的制备及荧光特性。在碱性条件下,利用水热法合成了CdS/ZnO的纳米复合结构,并对所有样品进行了XRD、荧光光谱和SEM表征。测试结果表明所制备的CdS纳米粒子和CdS/ZnO的纳米复合结构粒子成分单一且纯净;ZnO复合在CdS表面;在紫外光(328.5 nm)激发下,CdS/ZnO纳米复合结构的发射峰位于463 nm处,峰形窄而对称,CdS/ZnO纳米复合结构的荧光强度比CdS纳米粒子的荧光强度有显著增强,且CdS和ZnO物质量之比为1∶1条件下,荧光强度最高,其荧光效率比单一CdS纳米粒子高出11%。通过第一性原理计算结果表明,CdS能带结构中,Cd-4d,S-3p和Cd-5s能带分别由5条、3条和1条能级构成,对比不同轨道的分态密度强度,看出CdS的导带边主要由Cd-5s轨道贡献,而价带边主要由S-3p轨道贡献,能量在-7 eV附近的电子态主要由Cd-4d轨道贡献。而ZnO上价带主要由O-2p电子构成,靠近费米能级的价带区域则主要由Zn-3d电子贡献,在导带部分,主要来源于Zn-4s和O-2p电子。由于在两种材料的复合结构中Zn-3d电子的能级和S-3p电子的能级接近,存在着二型带阶结构使能带变窄,容易形成跃迁,减小电子-空穴的复合,从而促进复合结构荧光效率的提高。     

Evaluation of electrical and optical characteristics of ZnO/CdS/CIS thin film solar cell

In this study, device modeling and simulation are conducted to explain the effects of each layer thickness and temperature on the performance of ZnO/CdS/CIS thin film solar cells. Also, the thicknesses of the CIS and CdS absorber layers are considered in this work theoretically and experimentally. The calculations of solar cell performances are based on the solutions of the well-known three coupling equations: the continuity equation for holes and electrons and the Poisson equation. Our simulated results show that the efficiency increases by reducing the CdS thickness. Increasing the CIS thickness can increase the efficiency but it needs more materials. The efficiency is more than 19% for a CIS layer with a thickness of 2 μm. CIS nanoparticles are prepared via the polyol route and purified through centrifugation and precipitation processes.Then nanoparticles are dispersed to obtain stable inks that could be directly used for thin-film deposition via spin coating.We also obtain x-ray diffraction(XRD) peak intensities and absorption spectra for CIS experimentally. Finally, absorption spectra for the CdS window layer in several deposition times are investigated experimentally.     

High-quality CdS quantum dots sensitized ZnO nanotube array films for superior photoelectrochemical performance

The surface characteristics of ZnO were synthetically optimized by a self-designed simultaneous etching and W-doping hydrothermal method utilizing as-prepared ZnO nanorod (NR) array films as the template. Benefiting from the etching and regrowth process and the different structural stabilities of the various faces of ZnO NRs, the uniquely etched and W-doped ZnO (EWZ) nanotube (NT) array films with larger surface area, more active sites and better energy band structure were used to improve the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance and the loading quality of CdS quantum dots (QDs). On the basis of their better surface characteristics, the CdS QDs were uniformly loaded on EWZ NT array film with a good coverage ratio and interface connection; this effectively improved the light-harvesting ability, charge transportation and separation as well as charge injection efficiency during the PEC reaction. Therefore, all the CdS QD-sensitized EWZ NT array films exhibited significantly enhanced PEC performance. The CdS/EWZ-7 composite films exhibited the optimal photocurrent density with a value of 12 mA· cm^-2, 2.5 times higher than that of conventional CdS/ZnO-7 composite films under the same sensitization times with CdS QDs. The corresponding etching and optimizing mechanisms were also discussed.     

The importance of gold‐electrode‐adjacent stationary high‐field Böer domains for the photoconductivity of CdS

When the electron density decreases stronger than linearly with the electric field in photoconductive CdS due to field quenching, high‐field domains must occur that remain attached to either the cathode or anode in slit electrode geometry with blocking cathodes. These Böer domains¹ are easily seen by their shift in optical absorption due to the Franz‐Keldysh effect and offer unique opportunities to analyze field dependent parameters within the range of constant electron density and electric field, such as the carrier density or mobility as a function of the field, and give information of the light dependent work function. They also provide insight why a 200 Å thick cover layer of CdS on top of a CdTe solar cell increases its efficiency from 8 to 16% . The behavior of these Böer domains escapes conventional current voltage analyses except for their visual observation, while other high‐field domains with their current fluctuations or oscillations are easily observed and are the subjects of thousands of publications and many books. In this review we will exclude detailed discussion of dynamic domains, but include some new specifics that help to understand the mechanisms of the Böer domains and their applications. Only properties at low optical excitation intensities are discussed that exclude Joules heating. Within the p‐type regime of the anode‐adjacent domain extremely steep electronic quenching signal becomes visible that could signalize an intrinsic donor level slightly above the middle of the band gap that may be responsible for not allowing CdS to ever become p‐type by doping.

     

分步磁控溅射ZnO和/或功能化碳纳米粒子修饰ZnO电子传输层增强聚合物太阳能电池效率

氧化锌具有良好电子传输性和高透光性,ZnO作为电子传输层已被广泛应用于聚合物太阳能电池。但采用溶胶凝胶法和真空镀膜制备ZnO电子传输层,因ZnO界面具有大量缺陷,极大增加载流子复合。抑制ZnO界面复合电流和改善ZnO界面接触性能,是提高ZnO基电子传输层聚合物太阳能电池性能关键所在。基于P3HT:PCBM反转型聚合物太阳能电池,采用磁控溅射ZnO层,研究了离子液功能化碳纳米粒子(ILCNs)修饰层或Ar/O₂混合气体溅射沉积ZnO修饰层,以及Ar/O₂溅射ZnO界面层与ILCNs联合修饰ZnO界面的聚合物太阳能电池性能。纯Ar和Ar/O₂混合气体下一步溅射沉积ZnO电子传输层,其电池效率分别为2.2%和2.8%。经ILCNs修饰或Ar/O₂溅射ZnO修饰层,电池效率分别达到3.4%和3.1%,并且分步溅射ZnO层并联合ILCNs修饰ZnO界面,聚合物太阳能电池效率可提高到3.8%。ZnO修饰型聚合物太阳能电池克服了电化学阻抗负阻效应,降低了反向暗电流并显示出更好的整流特性。研究表明,采用ILCNs修饰ZnO层和分步溅射ZnO层能有效抑制ZnO界面缺陷和改善界面接触性能,而采用分步溅射ZnO层与ILCNs联合修饰ZnO界面,这种联合修饰ZnO界面方案,更能增强ZnO层电子传输和提取能力,是提高聚合物太阳能电池效率更为有效方案。     

Ab Initio Simulation of Charge Transfer at the Semiconductor Quantum Dot/TiO2 Interface in Quantum Dot‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Quantum dot‐sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) have emerged as a promising solar architecture for next‐generation solar cells. The QDSSCs exhibit a remarkably fast electron transfer from the quantum dot (QD) donor to the TiO₂ acceptor with size quantization properties of QDs that allows for the modulation of band energies to control photoresponse and photoconversion efficiency of solar cells. To understand the mechanisms that underpin this rapid charge transfer, the electronic properties of CdSe and PbSe QDs with different sizes on the TiO₂ substrate are simulated using a rigorous ab initio density functional method. This method capitalizes on localized orbital basis set, which is computationally less intensive. Quite intriguingly, a remarkable set of electron bridging states between QDs and TiO₂ occurring via the strong bonding between the conduction bands of QDs and TiO₂ is revealed. Such bridging states account for the fast adiabatic charge transfer from the QD donor to the TiO₂ acceptor, and may be a general feature for strongly coupled donor/acceptor systems. All the QDs/TiO₂ systems exhibit type II band alignments, with conduction band offsets that increase with the decrease in QD size. This facilitates the charge transfer from QDs donors to TiO₂ acceptors and explains the dependence of the increased charge transfer rate with the decreased QD size.     

Hollow Silica Spheres Embedded in a Porous Carbon Matrix and Its Superior Performance as the Anode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Silica (SiO₂) is regarded as one of the most promising anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries due to the high theoretical specific capacity and extremely low cost. However, the low intrinsic electrical conductivity and the big volume change during charge/discharge cycles result in a poor electrochemical performance. Here, hollow silica spheres embedded in porous carbon (HSS–C) composites are synthesized and investigated as an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries. The HSS–C composites demonstrate a high specific capacity of about 910 mA h g^?1 at a rate of 200 mA g^?1 after 150 cycles and exhibit good rate capability. The porous carbon with a large surface area and void space filled both inside and outside of the hollow silica spheres acts as an excellent conductive layer to enhance the overall conductivity of the electrode, shortens the diffusion path length for the transport of lithium ions, and also buffers the volume change accompanied with lithium‐ion insertion/extraction processes.     

Photoluminescence quenching of CdTe/CdS core-shell quantum dots in aqueous solution by ZnO nanocrystals

Photoluminescence (PL) properties of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) coated CdTe/CdS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) in aqueous solution in the presence of ZnO colloidal nanocrystals were studied by steady-state and time-resolved PL spectroscopy. The PL quenching of CdTe/CdS core-shell QDs with addition of purified ZnO nanocrystals resulted in a decrease in PL lifetime and a small red shift of the PL band. It was found that CdTe(1.5 nm)/CdS type II core-shell QDs exhibited higher efficiency of PL quenching than the CdTe(3.0 nm)/CdS type I core-shell QDs, indicating an electron transfer process from CdTe/CdS core-shell QDs to ZnO nanocrystals. The experimental results indicated that the efficient electron transfer process from CdTe/CdS core-shell QDs to ZnO nanocrystals could be controlled by changing the CdTe core size on the basis of the quantum confinement effect.