David Muñoz-Rojas

Facile one-pot synthesis of self-assembled silver@polypyrrole core/shell nanosnakes.

We thank the CSIC and the European Social Fund for financing through the I3P program, project MAT2005-07683-C02-01, and financial support for O.A. from the Saudi Committee for the Relief of Palestinian People and the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education.

Improved Open- Circuit Voltage in ZnO-PbSe Quantum Dot Solar Cells by Understanding and Reducing Losses Arising from the ZnO Conduction Band Tail.

Colloidal quantum dot solar cells (CQDSCs) are attracting growing attention owing to significant improvements in efficiency. However, even the best depleted-heterojunction CQDSCs currently display open-circuit voltages (VOCs) at least 0.5 V below the voltage corresponding to the bandgap. We find that the tail of states in the conduction band of the metal oxide layer can limit the achievable device efficiency. By continuously tuning the zinc oxide conduction band position via magnesium doping, we probe this critical loss pathway in ZnO–PbSe CQDSCs and optimize the energetic position of the tail of states, thereby increasing both the VOC (from 408 mV to 608 mV) and the device efficiency.

Improved Exciton Dissociation at Semiconducting Polymer:ZnO Donor:Acceptor Interfaces via Nitrogen Doping of ZnO.

Exciton dissociation at the zinc oxide/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (ZnO/P3HT) interface as a function of nitrogen doping of the zinc oxide, which decreases the electron concentration from approximately 1019 cm−3 to 1017 cm−3, is reported. Exciton dissociation and device photocurrent are strongly improved with nitrogen doping. This improved dissociation of excitons in the conjugated polymer is found to result from enhanced light-induced de-trapping of electrons from the surface of the nitrogen-doped ZnO. The ability to improve the surface properties of ZnO by introducing a simple nitrogen dopant has general applicability.

Tuning of defects in ZnO nanorod arrays used in bulk heterojunction solar cells.

With particular focus on bulk heterojunction solar cells incorporating ZnO nanorods, we study how different annealing environments (air or Zn environment) and temperatures impact on the photoluminescence response. Our work gives new insight into the complex defect landscape in ZnO, and it also shows how the different defect types can be manipulated. We have determined the emission wavelengths for the two main defects which make up the visible band, the oxygen vacancy emission wavelength at approximately 530 nm and the zinc vacancy emission wavelength at approximately 630 nm. The precise nature of the defect landscape in the bulk of the nanorods is found to be unimportant to photovoltaic cell performance although the surface structure is more critical. Annealing of the nanorods is optimum at 300°C as this is a sufficiently high temperature to decompose Zn(OH)2 formed at the surface of the nanorods during electrodeposition and sufficiently low to prevent ITO degradation.

Electrochemically induced reversible solid state transformations: electrosynthesis of Ag2Cu2O4 by room temperature oxidation of Ag2Cu2O3

Electrochemical oxidation at room temperature of a slurry of Ag2Cu2O3 yields a new silver copper oxide, formulated as Ag2Cu2O4, with one more atom of oxygen per unit formula, that can in turn revert to the original precursor. The resulting oxide presents a different electronic and crystal structure from its precursor, as shown by XPS, X-ray and electron diffraction. This phase transformation involves a radical structural change from a 3D to a 2D network, as well as electronic changes involving silver and oxygen. The potential of electrochemical techniques to induce crystal-chemical solid state transformations is analyzed.

The selective fabrication of large-area highly ordered TiO2 nanorod and nanotube arrays on conductive transparent substrates via sol–gel electrophoresis

Large-area free-standing arrays of TiO(2) nanorods and nanotubes were selectively synthesized on transparent conducting indium tin oxide substrates using sol-gel electrophoresis and anodic alumina (AAO) thin film templates. The effect of sol-gel ageing on the growth of TiO(2) was explained, providing a tailored ability to produce nanotubes and nanorods. An annular tungsten base electrode, stemming from the anodization of the AAO template, was found to be crucial to the growth of nanotubes. This was supported by a study of substrate annealing in a reducing atmosphere. The work can be readily adapted for the fabrication of free-standing arrays of other metal, metal oxide, and complex oxide nanorod and nanotube arrays on conducting substrates.

Research update : Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition of ZnO thin films : reactors, doping and devices

Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition (AP-SALD) has recently emerged as an appealing technique for rapidly producing high quality oxides. Here, we focus on the use of AP-SALD to deposit functional ZnO thin films, particularly on the reactors used, the film properties, and the dopants that have been studied. We highlight how these films are advantageous for the performance of solar cells, organometal halide perovskite light emitting diodes, and thin-film transistors. Future AP-SALD technology will enable the commercial processing of thin films over large areas on a sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll basis, with new reactor designs emerging for flexible plastic and paper electronics.

Synthesis and modeling of uniform complex metal oxides by close-proximity atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition.

A close-proximity atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (AP-CVD) reactor is developed for synthesizing high quality multicomponent metal oxides for electronics. This combines the advantages of a mechanically controllable substrate-manifold spacing and vertical gas flows. As a result, our AP-CVD reactor can rapidly grow uniform crystalline films on a variety of substrate types at low temperatures without requiring plasma enhancements or low pressures. To demonstrate this, we take the zinc magnesium oxide (Zn(1-x)Mg(x)O) system as an example. By introducing the precursor gases vertically and uniformly to the substrate across the gas manifold, we show that films can be produced with only 3% variation in thickness over a 375 mm(2) deposition area. These thicknesses are significantly more uniform than for films from previous AP-CVD reactors. Our films are also compact, pinhole-free, and have a thickness that is linearly controllable by the number of oscillations of the substrate beneath the gas manifold. Using photoluminescence and X-ray diffraction measurements, we show that for Mg contents below 46 at. %, single phase Zn(1-x)Mg(x)O was produced. To further optimize the growth conditions, we developed a model relating the composition of a ternary oxide with the bubbling rates through the metal precursors. We fitted this model to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measured compositions with an error of Δx = 0.0005. This model showed that the incorporation of Mg into ZnO can be maximized by using the maximum bubbling rate through the Mg precursor for each bubbling rate ratio. When applied to poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) hybrid solar cells, our films yielded an open-circuit voltage increase of over 100% by controlling the Mg content. Such films were deposited in short times (under 2 min over 4 cm(2)).

Shaping hybrid nanostructures with polymer matrices: the formation mechanism of silver–polypyrrole core/shell nanostructures

The influence of experimental parameters in the formation of peculiar silver–polypyrrole core/shell nanostructures (Ag@PPy nanosnakes) has been studied in detail. Thus, the initial ratio of reactants and particle size, as well as the temperature, solvent and atmosphere used, all have a dramatic effect on the reaction outcome. From all these experiments and a careful investigation of the initial stages of reaction, the formation mechanism of such nanostructures has been proposed. The results presented show that the formation of a polypyrrole matrix around the initial Ag2O particles is key for the formation of Ag@PPy nanosnakes. Finally, the stability and time evolution of the hybrid nanosnakes are also reported.

Structural study of electrochemically-synthesized Ag2Cu2O4. A novel oxide sensitive to irradiation

Abstract The structure of Ag 2 Cu 2 O 4 synthesized by electrochemical oxidation of its precursor Ag 2 Cu 2 O 3 is studied under a new perspective. Irradiation of the oxide with X-ray beam transforms the electronic structure of the phase by redistributing the internal charge within the material. The refined structure shows several possibilities all with metals in the same arrangement, but with oxygen atoms distributed in a rather disordered way. This is typical of ionic conductors.